Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness
by xSpellboundx
Summary: Tom Riddle was never without choices, but he was without understanding. Violet didn't have a lot of options, but she did have kindness of heart. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Did Tom ever strive for the light? Did he ever love? No. But once, someone tried to show him, in her own way. Tom Riddle Jr/OC
1. Slytherin

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter One; Slytherin

_Violet reflects despondently on her past years at Hogwarts. Having vowed to stand up for herself, she comes face to face with her first test. After failing miserably, she has her first of many encounters with the one and only Tom Riddle._

**A/N:** Anything recognisable belongs to JKR. Characters (with the exception of Violet) as well as ideas and settings belong to her. I do not own Tom Riddle or any other recognisable themes or characters.

* * *

My first five years at Hogwarts went by almost completely free of anything eventful. First year, I nervously boarded the Hogwarts Express, sat in a crowded compartment with some other first years that I didn't particularly care for, and then I was sorted into Slytherin. This annoyed me greatly. The sorting hat had lingered on my head for the longest time by far. Nobody else could tell, but in my head, the sorting hat and I were having a rather heated argument. I knew about the Slytherin stereotype and I wanted no part of it. I would have liked to be in Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, heck I would have settled for Hufflepuff, but I guess the sorting hat had other plans for me. Whilst my mind was in mid sentence, arguing my point for why I should not be placed in Slytherin, the sorting hat cut me off.

It yelled in my ear, "SLYTHERIN!"

_*"Damn"* I_ thought as I jumped off the stool and walked slowly over to the cheering Slytherin table.

I was still rather bitter at the beginning of my sixth year. Sitting on the train, my mind lingered on my memories of the previous years. Every year was the same. Being angry about being placed in Slytherin, I did not really get friendly with anyone, especially other Slytherins. I kept quiet mostly and stayed to myself. Vaguely I wondered what my life would have been like had I been in another house. I was not a naturally quiet person, I was outgoing and friendly. Of course, very few people at Hogwarts knew me this way. I wondered if I would have been popular or had many friends. I would never know. I was in Slytherin.

I had been raised, for the first part of my life, with muggles and I could not stand the pureblood mania that seemed to be normal for the rest of my fellow Slytherins. Now I lived with my aunt and her two children. John was a year younger than me and Mary was two years older. I got along quite well with them, but I was not like them and this seemed to frustrate my aunt. I was always last in family activities; this didn't bother me very much. Not many things bothered me. I'm not sure why, I guess it was just in my nature. No one else in my family went to Hogwarts. I suppose they just weren't interested. Neither was I but my aunt believed it was necessary. I always thought that she just wanted to get rid of me.

My family wasn't very open about it's pureblood status. Granted, they attended all of the pure-blood functions and balls; which I was always forced to attend, but for the most part, they were ok with just knowing themselves. You see, my mother and my aunt were both Schlechts. From the 1000s to around the late 1800s, the Schlechts were a very dark wizarding family. They were very well known in all of Europe and very feared as well. Luckily, I had my father's last name. He had been a muggle. This made me a half-blood. Nothing too incriminating went on in his family. Not to say that there was nothing; there had been a period when a part of the family were pirates and then later on outlaws in the old West. There were rumours about a relation to Robin Hood but nothing was ever proven. I loved my dad. We had so much in common and he loved me. Not that I didn't love my mother, but we didn't have as much in common as my father and I did.

My mind had begun to wander again.

I was overlooked a lot at school. It isn't really unlikely that many people thought I was mute. I spoke rarely. This summer though, I had consciously decided to stand up for myself. I had been pushed around a lot over the past few years and was not about to put up with it any more. As I thought about this, I realised how difficult it would be for me to actually do this. After so many years, I had no real experience with fighting back.

It didn't take long for my first test to come up.

"Davis!" My head snapped from the window to the door of the compartment. "We are going to sit here now…so you can go." I knew this girl all too well. Isabella Bulstrode was one of the more intimidating Slytherin girls. She had never given up an opportunity to bully or humiliate me. It made her look good in front of everyone.

I never got pushed around as much as the Gryffindors did, but probably out of all the Slytherins, I was everyone's least favourite. Maybe it was because I was so distant and cold to the other Slytherins or maybe it was the fact that the only two friends I had were from other houses that made them dislike me. That was most likely the problem. They didn't understand me. That, and the common knowledge of my being a half-blood.

My best friend was Laura Waters. She was a Ravenclaw and a "mudblood". My other best friend was Emily Weasley. She was in Gryffindor and a pureblood "bloodtraiter". Many of their friends didn't like me. It was my Slytherin stigma; they couldn't trust me. I seemed to be "the enemy" wherever I went.

"Davis, if you're not going to get out then I'll just have to make you!" Isabella always seemed to be screeching no matter who she was talking to. She could have used magic to throw me out but she didn't even need to. She grabbed the front of my robes and threw me into the corridor of the train.

I fell hard. Ignoring the laughter from behind the now closed compartment door, I tried to gather my thoughts. Once again I was interrupted. I realised that there was a pair of shoes standing next to me. Not only was there a pair of shoes, there was a person attached to them. Slowly I looked up…way up, to see Tom Riddle staring down at me.

_*"Oh great."* _

I had never spoken a single word to Tom Riddle. If I had, Isabella would have murdered me; but I knew quite a bit about him. Many of my fellow Slytherins seemed to almost worship him. They feared him. And no wonder; he was very intimidating, although I had a feeling that there were other reasons. It was too strange how they obeyed his every word without question. His piercing blue eyes gazed down at me, a quizzical expression on his face.

_*"Excellent"*_ I thought sarcastically as I noticed the prefect badge on his robes.

"Davis." I just stared up at him. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"Oh, I just thought I would spend some time down here…change of pace, you know." I guess I was trying to make up to myself for not standing up to Bulstrode, but I knew better than to get snarky with Tom Riddle. To my surprise he said nothing. He simply arched his eyebrows.

Turning his head, he looked into the compartment I was obviously thrown out of. He looked back down at me, one eyebrow cocked. "Get kicked out again, eh Davis?" To tell you the truth, I had been quite amazed that he had known my name in the first place, or at least my last name, let alone that he was aware of my existence. But he knew that this happened to me often. I was passed surprised.

"Of course," I answered, "It's more comfortable out here anyway." He sort of smirked.

"Well as comfortable as you find it out here, I'm afraid you're going to have to find a compartment." He paused. "We can't have people stepping on you." He offered me his hand; another shock. I took it and stood up.

"Thanks," I said on my feet. He nodded, then continued walking down the train. I watched him for a moment before going myself.

I walked in search of Laura and Emily. It took a few minutes but I was glad to have finally found them.

"Violet!" Laura yelled as I entered the compartment. Nearly falling over from her hug, I tried to steady myself.

"Well hello." I said somewhat dazed.

"Hi Violet!" Emily was a little calmer and less emotional than Laura.

"Hey! How were your summers?" I asked seating myself opposite Emily's cat 'Merlin's Beard'. His name suited him. He was the ugliest cat I had ever seen. I could imagine him, attached to Merlin's face.

Laura shrugged. "Can't complain, I went to Australia with my family for a few weeks, it was a wonderful time."

"Lucky!" Emily wasn't nearly as wealthy as Laura. Laura's mother was doctor and her father was a surgeon. Emily's mother was a housewife and her father owned a small shop in Diagon Ally. "I stayed home," Emily said dully "How about you?"

"I didn't really do anything to speak of," It was very true. I had slept most of the summer away.

We began to talk about any random thing we could think of. While in the middle of discussing the attractive Hufflepuff keeper, I was interrupted for the third time that day. To my relief, it was not another Slytherin, just the elderly witch with the sweet trolley. We all bought a few sweets then went back to talking.

The rest of the train ride went rather quickly. It seemed to be no time at all before we were all headed up to the castle in the thestral-drawn carriages. I was not looking forward to the feast. I hated having to sit surrounded by chatting Slytherins. I tried to seat myself away from everyone else, but of course I ended up being right between Olga Mcnair and some third year. I think her name was Lady…or Lulu…something stupid like that. As I sat poking at my food, my eyes wandered down the table. I stopped when I came to Tom Riddle. He was surrounded by his usual group of followers; Lestrange, Malfoy, Avery, Dolohov, Nott, Mulciber and Rosier. A little farther down was Bulstrode. I noticed that she kept glancing at Riddle hopefully.

_*"Pfft, keep dreaming sister."*_ Tom Riddle never bothered with any girl, let alone Isabella Bulstrode.

My dormitory was shared with two other girls; Eileen Flint and Cedrella Black. I would have been able to get along with these girls, maybe even be friends with them, was it not for their fear of Isabella. She hated me with a passion and along with me, anyone associated with me. I had managed to stay quiet for the entire evening. I was quite glad to flop down onto my bed, let my head hit the pillow and sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Schlecht means bad in German and the title of this story is from part of a Martin Luther King quote. The full quote is "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."


	2. Tom Riddle

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter Two; Tom Riddle

_Violet's first day begins differently from any other day; she is late. She also encounters some other situations which, for her, are rather out of the ordinary. She also finally comes face to face with Isabella, attends her least favourite class and attempts to figure out the Biography section._

* * *

I had never been late for anything in my life. I could not believe that I overslept on the first day back. _*"Just great."*_ I was going to be late for Transfiguration. As I ran, I hoped that my late entrance would go, for the most part, unnoticed. No such luck.

"Ah, Miss Davis, so nice of you to join us." Professor Dumbledore was sincere rather than rude, sarcastic or condescending. Unfortunately though, his greeting ensured that all eyes were on me.

"Sorry Professor." I apologised while taking the only empty seat next to a tall Hufflepuff boy.

"No matter…" Dumbledore continued on with his lesson.

As I unpacked my books, I noticed a pair of eyes that had continued to linger on me. Tom Riddle watched me a moment or two longer than necessary before turning his attention back to the Professor.

After class I gathered my things and looked over my timetable. _*"Charms in ten minutes…oh perfect."* _As I drew nearer to the classroom I saw a group of Slytherins waiting outside the door. Professor Oddwood had obviously locked the door. Not wanting to be anywhere near the group, I situated myself a comfortable distance away.

"Violet!" I turned to see Laura coming towards me. "Do you have Charms now too?"

"Yep, I sure do," I paused. "Are you nearly as excited as I am?" I paused again. "Because I'm pretty excited." Laura cocked an eyebrow having obviously picked up on my sarcasm.

"Oh it won't be that bad." She said reassuringly. It didn't help me though. I just rolled my eyes. I had never been good at Charms, in fact, to tell the truth I wasn't too good at any subject. I seemed to do alright in Divination, but that was by no means my own doing. For some reason, Professor Avenir seemed to believe that I was destined for great things and would be a powerful witch someday.

_*"What a load of waffle! I'll probably end up mopping the floors in Borgin and Burke's"* _I had always been excellent in Muggle Studies, but that was because I had grown up with them. I was the only Slytherin in that class. The only class I seemed to excel in, out of interest in the subject or actually just doing the work, was Care of Magical Creatures.

My thoughts of my own inept magical abilities were interrupted by Laura. "Violet…"

"Hmm?" I replied, still gazing at a puddle on the floor.

"Why are Avery and Mulciber staring at you?"

"What?" I looked at my friend who was looking curiously at the group of Slytherins. I followed her gaze. Sure enough Emmett Avery and Andrei Mulciber were staring at me; a smirk on both their faces. "No idea." I said looking away. "Perhaps they've finally come up with a satisfactory way of murdering me in my sleep and they find it amusing that they are the only ones who know that the end is near for me."

"Yes, you're probably right Violet," Laura replied sarcastically elbowing me towards the classroom where Professor Oddwood had finally showed up.

We ended up sitting near the center of the classroom. I hated sitting there. I much preferred to sit at the back or at the side, away from the front and center. _*"Oh, well."*_ Laura wasted no time showing off, answering the first three questions and earning Ravenclaw fifteen points.

Time went on and during the second half of class I had begun to nod off. Just as my eyes began to flitter shut, a paper airplane landed right in front of me. Looking back to my right, I saw Mulciber grinning stupidly at me. Riddle, who was sitting behind him, eyed him; a look of annoyance written clearly across his hansom face. Of course he was annoyed because Mulciber had interrupted his concentration on the Professor.

_*"Tom Riddle is such a nerd."* _

I turned back to the note, opening it silently. It read;

"_**Better watch out Davis. Bulstrodes pretty mad." **_

I read it over about three times. _*"Now what the heck does that mean?"*_

Deciding that I needed to know, I answered;

"_**What are you talking about, Mulciber?"**_

I folded it back up and with a glance back at the professor, threw the note back to it's owner. It was only another minute or so before it was back on my desk.

"_**She saw you and Riddle on the train"**_

I stared at the piece of parchment utterly bewildered. _*"What? What exactly does that mean? She threw me out while he was standing there! What could I have possibly done wrong?"* _I tugged Laura's robes, motioning for her to read the note. When finished she looked at me questioningly. I shrugged and wrote an answer.

"_**I have no idea what you are talking about."**_

This time I watched the brawny Slytherin read it. He raised his eyebrows and looked up at me. He smirked, shaking his head, then set the note aside. I rolled my eyes. He wasn't even going to tell me! What a jerk. _*"Oh well. I'm sure Isabella will find the time to tell me soon enough"*_

The next time I saw the Slytherin she-devil was at lunch. To my surprise, all she did was ignore me…as usual. _*"Maybe Mulciber was just trying to scare me."*_ In any case, everything else was normal. After Lunch I sat through Potions and then History of Magic. I met up with Laura and Emily after Dinner and we walked around a little bit.

"So if you add flobberworm to a polyjuice potion it becomes blast-ended scroot repellent?"

"_Yes_ Violet, for the last time…" Our conversation was interrupted.

"Waters! Hey Waters!" We all turned to see Myrtle Maynes coming our way.

"Yes Myrtle, what is it?" Laura asked patiently.

A lot of people were mean to Myrtle, but we tried to be as nice as possible. It was hard sometimes though; she could be very whiny. She began to ramble on about something she needed help with. I didn't catch most of it.

"Ok Myrtle," Laura said kindly, "I'll come and help you." She turned back to us. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya."

"See ya." As she walked off I turned to Emily. "Do you think we could go to the library for a bit? I need to get a book for Transfiguration."

"Yea, sure."

The library was a large one compared to that of a normal muggle library. My only complaint was it's lack of fiction. I was not surprised by the library's occupants. One or two second years were chatting with Madam Lezer, the librarian, and at the most secluded table, sitting all alone was Tom Riddle. He looked totally immersed in whatever it was that he was reading and did not even glance up when one of the second years dropped three large Potions books on their foot. Emily and I walked over to the section that I thought would be most likely to have the book I was looking for.

"What is it you're looking for anyway?" Emily finally asked after about ten minutes. I wasn't having much luck.

"The Life and Times of Brodwick Fairingfax."

She looked at me blankly, then her face became contorted in worry. "Oh no! I forgot my Arithmancy book in the classroom!"

I sighed "Go get it then, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right. See you." She hurried out of the library as fast as she could.

I shook my head and went back to looking for "The Life and Times of Brodwick Fairingfax" _*"Boy, what a name!"* _I must have been standing there quite some time. Somebody was now leaning against the end of the shelf I was at.

"What are you looking for?" The voice droned. I turned to see Tom Riddle's long figure leaning casually against the shelf. I could not read the expression on his face. It seemed to me to be a cross between amusement and irritation. He waited for my answer. It was only after I had once again swallowed my heart and it was back in place that I was able to answer him.

"The Life and Times of Brodwick Fairingfax."

He continued to stare at me. "Perhaps," he began, "it would be useful for you to look in the Biography section…"

_*"Thanks Riddle, leave it to you to make me feel like an idiot."* _"Perhaps," I imitated "you are right. In fact, I was on my way there right now."

He smirked as I passed him. "Ahem," I turned back to him. "The Biography section is that way." He pointed in the opposite direction that I was going. I glanced in the direction he was pointing.

"I knew that."

He cocked an eyebrow and I walked past him again. "Maybe if you did your homework more often you would know these things."

"Yes mother." I mumbled

"What was that?" He called after me.

"Nothing Riddle. Go back to you're work."

He snorted. "Well you're welcome."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you Riddle." I called back a little louder than necessary.

It only took me a moment to find the book I was looking for. It was lying out of place on an empty shelf. I picked it up, but waited there a little longer. I wasn't sure why. Finally, with my book in hand, I headed out of the library. As I went out the door, I saw Riddle glance up from his book to watch me leave. I was amazed that he wasn't mad at me for being a bit mouthy with him. Granted, I hadn't been excessively rude, but normally you didn't need to be with Riddle to make him mad. I had seen him get angry at people for the tiniest things. That was quite a while ago, now nobody dared to speak back to him. And of course the Headmaster and Professors were in love with him. To give him credit, he was probably the smartest person I knew, I was rather jealous. But he wasn't the good boy they all thought he was. There was something decidedly dark about Tom Riddle.

I found myself thinking about him on my way back to the common room, which later when I thought about it, vexed me greatly. _*"Stupid! Stop thinking about the scary boy!"* _

"Pureblood," I muttered to the portrait. We always had the dumbest passwords.

* * *

The common room still had quite a few people hanging around. At first, when I came through the portrait, I thought that no one had noticed me; which was the norm. Someone had notice me. As I walked across the common room, towards the girl's dormitory, a cold, clammy hand grabbed my arm. A hand like that could only belong to one person. Isabella Bulstrode. We glared into each other's eyes for a moment or two. This was it. I knew I could stand up to her this time.

"What!...The bloody hell!...Do you think!..." I took note of how shaky her voice was. She was obviously livid. "You're playing at?"

"I'm sure I don't know, but I would certainly appreciate it I f you told me."

"I saw you on the train! _Gazing_ into his eyes!" She spat.

_*"Whoah…gazing? That's exaggerating a little don't you think…"*_

"And just now Mimi saw you with him in the library." I stared at her a moment, leaving a rather long pause.

"Sorry, who?"

"Urgh!" Isabella was very practiced at shrieking. "You know exactly who I mean! I told you first year to stay away from him!" She looked as though she was going to punch me in the face. "You've obviously decided to test me this year." She pulled out her wand, but I was faster. At least I was quicker than her, even if she was a better witch. We just stood there glaring at each other, waiting for someone to make a move. Then we realized that someone was standing just inside the portrait frame.

Riddle looked from me to Isabella, then to me again. He looked at our wands. It was quite obvious what was going on. He looked slightly amused as he surveyed the rest of the room's occupants. I wondered how long he had been standing there.

"Isn't it about time that you were all in bed?" Immediately, every one who was left in the room scurried away to their dormitories. I watched, dumbfounded as even Isabella, who had only moments ago been near the point of killing me, scurried to her room without so much as a warning glance at me. I realised that I was the only one who had not gone. Tom was watching me curiously.

_*"Well this is awkward."* _My eyes darted around the room before landing back on him. I coughed slightly. "Well…erm…goodnight Riddle." I turned and headed up to my room, thankful to be out of his sight.

I hated dreaming about Tom Riddle. It made me feel like one of his stupid little fan girls who he never paid any attention to. I was most definitely not a fan girl, but I had to admit, he was extremely attractive, in a dark, brooding kind of way. Eileen snored; I hated that. Luckily one charm I _could_ do was a silencing charm.

* * *

As I dressed the next morning, I dreaded the day ahead of me. Isabella Bulstrode was not the type to let a thing like this go. Once, in third year, Addie Parkinson had been imprudent enough to try to flirt with Tom during a Quiddich match. Parkinson later received a few sound crucios from Bulstrode and her slut of a best friend, Daisy Greengrass. It took a while for Parkinson to work her way back into Bulstrode's little gang of whores. They made her do some pretty awful things. Whenever she made fun of me, I felt sorry for her, despite myself. One day after she had undergone a particularly disgusting task, she attempted to make me angry in front of lady Bulstrode. My pity for her outweighed my hate and I pretended to be upset. This gained her a few points in Bulstrode's books. I think Parkinson had known what I had done because ever since then, she hasn't bothered me. Once I even thought I saw her look at me sympathetically when Greengrass called me a dirty half-blood. But my point is, I knew my sins would not go unpunished. What were my sins you ask? Well, number one; daring to meet the eyes of Tom Riddle, and number two; showing signs of combativeness towards the mighty Isabella Bulstrode.

I considered not going to the Great Hall for breakfast, but my stomach was obviously not going to allow this. It grumbled loudly. _*"Well here I go._"* I couldn't avoid Isabella forever anyway. The moment I stepped into the Great Hall, our eyes met. I decided to play it cool and ignore her. I walked to the Gryffindor table where Laura and Emily were sitting.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Hey." They chimed. I heard something in that '_hey'_. They knew about last night. It was only a matter of time before they started with the awkward questions leading to the dreaded rhetorical questions. _What were you thinking? Don't you know she's going to kill you?_

"Erm, so…" Emily began.

_*"Here we go."*_

"How'd you sleep?"

"Yes!" Laura piped in. "How _did_ you sleep?" I looked at them as if they were mad.

"Umm, I slept…good?..."

"Oh good." They both nodded, glancing nervously at each other.

"Oh just ask me." I said finally, helping myself to some pancakes and bacon. They looked around to make sure nobody was listening. Then, with one more glance at each other, they began.

"We heard that you and Isabella Bulstrode were fighting over Tom Riddle and…"

I cut her off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…_fighting over _Tom Riddle?" I repeated. They both nodded. "We were not _fighting over_ Tom Riddle…_she_ was being an over imaginative bitch, as per usual, and _I_ was trying _not_ to die." They stared at me. "So clear that up with anyone who believes that first story." I added, continuing to drench my plate with syrup. After a moment or two, they nodded, obviously satisfied with my explanation. For the rest of breakfast, we didn't talk about it again.

I hated having Divination in the morning. It made me feel queasy. I was there early and sat near the window. Olga Mcnair, a very tall, quiet Slytherin girl ended up sitting at my little table with me. She approached me apprehensively, looking from me to the empty chair.

"Go ahead." I said when she stopped walking and stood nervously near the chair. Slytherins made fun of her too. She was a pureblood and came from what was considered to be a "good" family, but she wasn't pretty enough for them.

We had been sitting in class for nearly twenty minutes when my head fell to the table. I was awoken not a minute later by a kick from Olga. I jolted up. The class was looking at me, as was Professor Avenir. I heard snickers from a few tables away. Nott and Mulciber were chortling uncontrollably, while Avery and Riddle both watched in amusement.

There was a note of concern in the Professor's voice when she spoke. "My dear, have you been sleeping well?"

More snickers.

"As a matter of fact I haven't Professor. You see I keep having this dream where I go on a murderous rampage…Unfortunately all the members of my house die every time…" I sent Nott and Mulciber a death glare.

For once I think she realized that I was joking. "In any case, could you please…_gaaaze_ into Miss Mcnair's unknown, the crystal ball…" She went on for a few minutes just describing the crystal ball. I'm not sure, but I think she made up a few words then and there.

I had to see something in Olga's future. I stared at the crystal ball intently. Nothing. I had to think of something to say. With my expression as serious as I could get it, I looked at Olga. She looked at me, eagerly awaiting my analysis of her future. I cleared my throat.

"You will find love…on flag day." Olga blinked. I looked at Professor Avenir. She stared at me a moment, then nodded as if in deep thought.

"Very insightful…" She seemed impressed. The rest of the class, including Olga, knew that I was full of crap but for some reason, the professor could not accept that I was just no good at Divination. She moved onto the next person and I, ignoring the continuing Slytherin chuckles, fell back asleep. Olga woke me up at the end of class. I thanked her, grabbed my things, and hustled out of there.

Muggle Studies absolutely flew by. Both Emily and Laura were in that class so naturally we got nothing done. After class, the three of us headed down to lunch. I ate quickly then went to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to return Brodwick Fairingfax." Laura looked confused but Emily nodded as I turned and headed towards the library.

Once there, I looked around. No sign of Riddle or any other Slytherins. _*"Excellent."*_ I went looking for Madam Lezer. She found me, actually she ran right into me.

"Oh, sorry dear." She apologised. Seeing the book in my hand, she added, "If you're returning that, would you be so kind as to put it away. I have so much to do." She didn't wait for an answer. I tried to remember where I had gotten the book from. I walked to the biography section. I now knew where it was thanks to Riddle. I stood staring at the books. They didn't seem to go in alphabetical order. I searched and searched for the place the author would fit in.

"Blarney McPebble." I gave a snort of laughter. _*"Ha, Blarney McPebble…ha!"*_ I stood there for another good ten minutes before I heard a voice form the other side of the shelf.

"They're sorted by subject not author."

"…huh?"

He sighed. "The biography section is sorted by subject, not author." The voice was impatient. I could see the Slytherin tie and the prefect badge through the spaces in the shelf. Riddle.

"Oh! I see…" I found its spot immediately, but as I turned, my way was blocked. Riddle was looking at me, his usual unreadable expression in place.

"Yes?" I asked finally.

He sighed again. "Can you do _anything_ right?"

Needless to say, I was a little taken aback by the question. But managed to answer eloquently. "Huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "You hardly ever use magic… I've only really seen you do simple spells like lumos," he paused. "And any idiot can do that."

I should have been insulted, maybe that's what he was going for, but instead I just smiled. "Well I'm not just _any_ idiot." He smirked as I slid by him. He even smelled nice. _ *"Stop, stop, stop! There will be none of that!"* _I had already done more talking this year than I had all my previous years put together.

I managed to sit through double Potions alright, even thought I had to sit next to Mimi Nott. I disliked her greatly. In second year her brother, Alexander, left Flobberworm mucus in my shoes. Mimi seemed like she was a nice, quiet girl, but I knew better. She was Bulstrode's spy. She eyed my wearily, knowing that I knew that is was she who told Isabella about my speaking with Riddle in the library. I guess she thought I was going to try to get revenge on her, but I couldn't be bothered with such things.

That night Laura, Emily and I wandered around the castle sharing our most recent complaints and aggravations. I returned to the common room around eight o'clock. It was nearly full. Even Riddle and his "friends" were there, lounging by the fire. As I walked past everyone, I could feel more than a few eyes on me. My dormitory was empty at the moment. I took this opportunity to sort out some of my things. At ten o'clock my roommates had still not shown up. I didn't care at all to be quite honest. I went to bed.

* * *

**A/N: **Lezer means reader in Dutch and Avenir means future in French.


	3. Good Day, Bad Day

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter Three; Good Day, Bad Day

_The first Hogsmeade trip of the year gives great cause for enthusiasm, however the day does not end as well as Violet had hoped. Her sleepiness gets the better of her and as a result the next day also does not play out as she would have liked. She makes it through Monday but is faced with a curious mystery at the end of the day._

* * *

It had been three weeks since we had arrived at Hogwarts, which meant it was time for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. I was so happy. Just to be able to get out of school and have a change of scenery was enough to initiate excitement in me. Laura, Emily and I had agreed to meet outside of the great hall on Saturday morning so I left for breakfast earlier than normal.

We ate leisurely and then began to walk down the path from the castle to Hogsmeade. The walk took altogether about three quarters of an hour, but it was always enjoyable. We chattered away like the rest of the students, blissfully heading down the long narrow path. The students themselves were separated into two distinct groups. There were those who had the appearance of being muggles and those who were clearly witches and wizards. Most of these were wealthy purebloods who either didn't own any casual muggle clothing or they did not want to lower themselves by wearing such "filth". Their attire signified that they were either wealthy or some person of importance. Even when it was necessary that they exhibit muggle clothing, their wardrobe was as formal as possible. This was rather annoying.

Our day in Hogsmeade was exceedingly enjoyable. First we went to Honeyduke's where I must say we spent far too much time. Having bought more candy and chocolate than any one person should eat; I foresaw my sickness that was inevitable the next day. We visited nearly every shop in the village before two o'clock, at which time we went to The Three Broomsticks where we ate our lunch and had a few butterbeers before heading out again. The one shop that was left was Zonko's. We eventually got there, spending nearly three hours just looking at all of the clever contraptions for sale. After our extended exploration of the area around the village, we set on our way back to Hogwarts.

By the time we returned, I was more than a little tired. We had spent the entire day in Hogsmeade and the sun was beginning to set as we walked through the doors of Hogwarts. My drowsiness got the better of me and I walked in silence as my friends conversed. Suddenly I was snapped out of my dream-like state by something Laura had said.

"What?" I interrupted.

Laura looked at me surprised, "What?"

"What did you just say about Charms?"

"Umm…about the essay?"

"Essay!" I grabbed my friend's shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Why didn't you tell me we had an essay?" I scolded.

Laura's expression was calm but held the smallest hint of annoyance. "Violet, you knew very well we had an essay due on Monday."

"What?" I think I was being a little over dramatic. "It's due on Monday?"

Laura sighed. "Remember Violet, you said _What! That's ridicules! We should at least get a full week for that!"_

"I remember," Emily added, "you complained about it all through dinner". I stared at her a moment, the whole situation coming back to me.

"hmm…maybe I should get started on that. Before it slips my mind… again." Emily laughed at my forgetfulness. Laura just shook her head. Being the excellent student she was, she was most likely already finished her essay. And to top it all off, it was probably worth an O.

The three of us separated, heading towards our own common rooms. I rifled absentmindedly through my notes for the instructions for the essay. I found them in my Divination book. "Great!" I had begun to grumble as I read through the directions. This would take me forever. Grabbing some parchment from my bag I set it on my books and got out my quill. I sat just staring at my blank parchment for nearly eight whole minutes before I realized that I would need some books from the Library before I could write a single thing. Looking at the clock I saw it was only seven thirty. There would be plenty of time to run down to the Library, get some books, and then come back. Hopefully I would get the bloody thing done before midnight and have Sunday to sleep and lounge around.

The halls were mostly deserted with the exception of the odd group of two or three students heading back to their common rooms after a long day in Hogsmeade. The Library only had a few people in it; three or four students who seemed to enjoy the comforts of the room full of books to their worm and cozy dormitories. I grabbed a few books, sat down and started going through them to see if they would be of any use to me. My eyes scanned the pages, hoping to come across anything interesting. Unfortunately for me, Charms was a rather uninteresting subject and I didn't have much luck. I felt my sleepiness creeping up on me once again but managed to keep my eyes open, reminding myself that if I could finish this tonight I would be able to sleep in the next morning. It was this thought that kept me going.

* * *

I woke up alone and in the dark. Allowing my eyes to adjust I sat a moment trying to identify my surroundings. I was still in the Library and judging by my company; no one, it was after hours. Hurriedly I snatched up my books rushed out the door. Why had no one woken me up? _*"Oh right, I forgot, I only have two friends in the entire school. How silly of me."*_ I scolded myself for falling asleep. I had tried so hard too.

The only sound in the hallway was that of my own feet on the stone floor. It was an eerie feeling, walking through the corridors of Hogwarts in the dark. There was only the odd torch on the wall to light my way. Luckily I was familiar enough with the corridors of the school to know my way back without any problems. I was doing so well. I was more than half way to the Slytherin common room when I heard someone speak.

"Out a little late aren't you?" I wheeled around to see Tom Riddle standing in the doorway of a classroom behind me. He was leaning casually as though he had been there for a while. I was about to ask him what he was doing out so late when I remembered that he was probably doing his Prefect duties to make sure that nothing was out of place and that there were no wanderers after hours; such as myself.

When I gave no reply he began to walk towards me. "And what may I ask are you doing out of bed at this hour?" He twirled his wand between his long fingers as he neared me.

"Er, well you see I…" He was watching me patiently awaiting my answer. "What time is it anyway?"

Tom raised his eyebrows. "It is twenty after twelve."

"Oh…" I tried my best to not stare into his blue eyes. I always got the feeling that he could read my mind. To me, my mind was the one place that I could escape from everything and found the thought of his being able to read my thoughts very unnerving. "Well I was in the Library looking for books for my Charms essay, but I was tired and I guess I fell asleep." I smiled innocently up at him. He looked at the books I was carrying with interest.

"May I see?" I handed him my books and he glanced at the titles of each of them. "This is the only one you will need." He gestured to one of the books. "It is the most detailed in it's explanations." He handed the books back to me.

"Umm, thanks. Well I guess I'd better be going." Riddle grabbed my arm before I had time to escape.

"Not so fast Davis. You are still out of bed after hours, even if you have an excuse." I groaned internally. "I am afraid I will have to take away house points." I snorted. Tom should know better. I could care less about Slytherin house points. "And…" He continued seeing my lack of concern. "You will have detention Monday night." My jaw dropped.

_*"Detention! Urg!"*_ He smirked. My displeasure obviously satisfied him.

"Be at the History of Magic classroom at eight o'clock sharp." I glared at his back as he walked away. Somehow he knew that I had not made a move to leave as he called over his shoulder, "Go to bed Violet." I jumped. I was glad that he had turned the corner and could no longer see me. If he could he would have seen me blush as he said my name. Walking back to the common room I was very frustrated with myself to find that I had butterflies in my stomach. Once back in my dormitory, I threw my books onto my trunk and flopped down onto my bed; too tired to do much else.

The next morning I sat alone at breakfast. I had arrived later than most and to my dismay, Tom Riddle of all people noticed. He sat a ways down the table but our eyes still met as I took my seat. He nodded courtly before going back to his breakfast.

When I was finished eating, I headed back to my room to finish my essay…ok to _begin_ my essay. I was sure Tom was already done his. And of course it would most defiantly be O worthy. It did end up taking me an extraordinarily long time to finish. I was usually good at writing essays and such but I was a bit distracted this time around. It was mid-afternoon before the task was complete. I didn't feel like doing anything else so I stayed in my room, reading and doing different things before deciding to go to sleep early.

I was in a bad mood on Monday morning. I slid into a seat at the Slytherin table and ate my breakfast in silence before heading up to Transfiguration. As usual the door was already open when I got there. I took my regular seat and unpacked my books. Just as I was finishing, the rest of the students filed into the classroom. I didn't really mind Transfiguration, even though I wasn't any good at it. I found Dumbledore very easy to listen to. He was another person who I got the impression could tell what I was going to say before I said it. But I didn't mind this as much as I did Riddle. I didn't want_ him_ to know what I was thinking.

Charms didn't go nearly fast enough for my liking. I handed in my essay. I had taken Tom's advice and only used one of the books I had borrowed. I hoped he hadn't lied to me and made me use the one book that I shouldn't. Professor Oddwood had had the appearance of not liking me since first year. I had no doubt I would get a failing mark on this essay.

The second half of the day went fast enough. I ate dinner with Laura and Emily at the Ravenclaw table. Laura reproached me for being out after hours but I took it as a sign of her caring rather than simply scolding me for the sake of scolding, which it may very well have been. By the time I was done it was seven thirty. I wondered what Professor Binns had for me to do during my detention.

_*"Urg, I might as well go early."*_ I took my time walking up to the History of Magic classroom, chatting to various portraits and ghosts as I went. When I arrived I was right on time. The door was open slightly and I stepped inside. Not seeing anyone I quietly greeted the room, "Er, hello?"

The door closed behind me. "Hello." Tom stood up from behind several very large stacks of papers. I was confused. Why was Tom here? Students were not supposed to supervise detentions.

"Riddle?" I eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled politely. "Overseeing your detention of course." He gestured to a chair at the side of the desk he was at. I moved closer, taking my seat. "We are going to correct these papers for Professor Binns." He held out a long piece of parchment out to me. "These are the answers." He seated himself and began marking, as did I.

I had gotten into quite a good rhythm of Xs and checkmarks. It was Riddle's voice that pulled me out of my groove. "That's enough I think." I looked up at him. All of his papers had been put away and his side of the desk had been cleaned up. He had not been marking for some time. Instead he had been watching me. I felt colour rising to my cheeks as he rose from his chair. "I will escort you back to the common room."

_*"I don't need escorting Riddle."*_

We walked in complete silence until we reached the portrait where Riddle said the password. "Mudblood." I rolled my eyes at the distasteful password. We stepped inside and stood awkwardly until Riddle decided to break the silence. "Goodnight," he said turning to me and smiling pleasantly.

"Er, goodnight." I went up to my room very much aware that he was watching me.

As I lay in bed, staring at my green velvet curtains, I thought about what had just happened. Why had Tom Riddle overseen my detention? Teachers never allowed students to do so, even if they were Prefects. And why was he being so amiable towards me? Something was going on, and I planned on finding out what it was.


	4. In My Life

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter Four; In My Life

_Having a little more time on her hands, Violet begins to take interest in the disconcerting books that her family has left to her. But as it turns out, she is not the only one who is interested in the ancient books…_

* * *

The next few days went by without any more disturbances, which was lucky because I had taken to spying on Riddle. After two weeks of spying, I had not found out a single thing. So gradually I forgot my mission and it was abandoned. I began instead directing my energy elsewhere. Of course I am not talking about schoolwork, but reading. I was not reading textbooks or your average literary masterpieces, rather the old books that my mother had given me before she died. They had been in my family for centuries.

As I have already said, my family were the Schlechts - a tyrannical wizarding family. The men, women and children were all vicious. Their behaviour lasted until the mid 1800s when all the Schlechts seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Nobody ever knew why. That is, nobody except for us, of course.

I will enlighten you on some of my family history. In 1750, a man named Johannes Alexander Schlecht, became jealous of his older brother, Lucas' power. The fact was that for generations, the whole family had gained its power from books, diaries if you will. More could be added at any time but there was magic in these books, that was unheard of to the rest of the wizarding world; magic and techniques never possibly achievable by anyone who does not possess the books.

I felt a little bad that they had to be wasted on me. But according to the books, "T_alent is not what gets you far in life; it is not physical strength, courage or wit. It is not your demeanour or your character - It is the small decisions along the way that decide your fate." _

_*"Hmm, how very interesting."*_

Anyway, back to my story. Johannes Alexander Schlecht had three children - all girls. His brother Lucas had two boys. Johannes wished for his daughters to the most powerful living beings on earth! High standards, I know. Well, one night, he broke into the family library and cursed the books, making it only possible for them to be read by females. As you can probably guess, this did not go over well at all with Lucas. Eventually the two brothers killed each other in a duel and the families of the two sides never spoke again. This should have been the end of it. But of course it was not. As before, there was more sibling rivalry. The two younger daughters had several children each. Now, their girls had access to the books and would share the information with their brothers. The oldest daughter of Johannes however only had one girl. So can you guess what she did? That's right...one night she snuck into the family's library and cursed the books, this time making them only readable to an only child who was born an only child. This meant that you could not simply kill your siblings to get the books. Now it would be logical that each family only have one child each, however for the longest time, they did not know what it was that was keeping them from reading the books. So, until my birth, there wasn't a single only child born in the family.

It finally became clear when it was found that I could read them. It was too late for my aunt to pass down the books as we first realised that I was able to read them when I was three – just after my cousin John was born. Of course I could not fully comprehend what was written in them, but it was clear that I could see something. As you can imagine, my aunt was very displeased.

I had never been a violent person, but I found these books fascinating. They did not simply contain various means of torture; rather they were full of clever spells, helpful everyday spells or spells that could give you the appearance of doing something you're not. All of the books were hand written by people who had actually used, or in some cases, invented the spells themselves. Once I had been curious to see what others saw in the books so I showed one to Mary. She told me that she could only see blank parchment.

Back to the present. I sat in the library, reading. There was an average abundance of students coming and going, creating a gentle buzzing sound of conversations. I allowed myself to be drawn in by what I was reading. Unfortunately this made my senses less attentive and I did not notice the person standing behind me.

"Do you often read blank books?" I snapped my book shut and whirled around to see Riddle staring down at me. His expression was not what I had expected of him. It was suspicious. He eyed me, awaiting my answer. When I gave none his gaze returned to the book clutched protectively in my grip.

Not knowing what to say to him, I gave a feeble attempt at changing the subject. "You wouldn't have happened to have seen Madam Lezer around have you?" His eyes rose from my book and began to search my face as if for some hint of withheld information. I could not tell if he found what he was looking for or not, but he shook his head. "Oh well," I glanced around the room and grabbed my bag, stuffing my book inside. "See you later."

The next few days Tom was everywhere - and I mean everywhere. He acted nonchalant about it but I knew better. He would pass me in the hall and nod politely, then I would head to the other side of the school, and there he'd be. This continued for about two weeks. It was becoming a little intrusive. It was as though he wanted something from me but I could not figure out what it was. I had a bad feeling every time I saw him. Like something was going to happen that I could not possibly prevent. His eyes were constantly meeting mine - staring at me as though reading my mind; seeing into my very soul and it gave me shivers. It finally became too much for me to bear when some of his cronies began to watch me. Whatever it was Tom wanted, they knew about it.

* * *

One particular evening I was tired of my constant company. If I was not in class, I was being followed by Tom or one of his henchmen. And on top of that, my roommates had suddenly decided that our dormitory was the best place in the world for a hangout. So I had no choice but to find another place to read.

The sun was setting beautifully in the sky and there was a cool breeze in the warm October air. I walked briskly across the grounds towards the Quidditch pitch, my cloak billowing behind me as I went. I had been careful to make sure that no one had seen me and it was unlikely that anyone could see me now. I was just a mere shadow on the grounds of Hogwarts.

I chose the Gryffindor changing rooms as my spot. The colours were much brighter and more cheerful than those of Slytherin. Also, the Slytherin changing room was on the side of the pitch that was closer to the Dark Forest and Gryffindor's was closer to the castle.

I looked around the small room. There were several benches, arranged in rows in front of a chalkboard. There were also a few lockers standing on one side of the room. I picked up a cloak of some kind, which had been lying on a bench and arranged it on the ground in front of the lockers. I lit my wand and sat down; leaning back. And I began to read.

"_It is common for wizards to duel facing one another as though holding a blade. However you are likely to find that it is far more efficient to hold your wand at your side. Not only does it add an element of surprise when using nonverbal spells but it also allows the wand to act on its own. As we have already discovered, the wand has a way of doing its own thing and deciding for its self what the best cause of action should be. This is actually part of our subconscious doing the work for us. If you simply allow magic to flow from you, you will find that the resulting product is a far better quality."_

I stopped, thinking that I'd heard something. It was impossible for someone to have followed me. After a few more moments of careful listening I decided that it was only my imagination and I went back to reading.

"_Of course simply allowing the magic to flow out of you can take some practice and should not be immediately tested in a duel. Doing so may not have a satisfactory outcome…"_

_*"Ok, that time I defiantly heard something."* _I stood up and turned towards the door, holding my book close and my wand held in front of me. There was nothing there. No noise could be heard but the soft sounds of the wind brushing eerily against the heavy cloth that made up the walls of the room. As I stood still I began to notice other noises. Somewhere far above me the wooden frame of the structure creaked. An owl hooted, then another. Then a wolf howled in the distance. This was getting a little creepy for me. I had just decided that it might be time to go when I heard it. Someone cleared their throat.

* * *

My heart jumped into my own throat and I felt nauseous as I turned to see Tom Riddle standing not five feet from the spot I had been sitting. This was it - I was going to find out what he wanted. But I had a feeling that it was not going to end well…for me.

"Riddle?" I asked, slightly out of breath. I sounded far too shaky and uncertain for my liking. I didn't want Tom to know that I was scared of him. But he probably knew already. Still I tried to remain as calm as possible before it happened. Whatever '_it_' was.

"You scared the life out of me! What are you doing here? I'm not out after hours, or out of bounds. It's only 9:30 and -"

He held up his hand to stop my rambling, which I immediately ceased, and he began to walk towards me. "I am not here to get you in trouble Violet."

I did not like this one bit.

"I was simply out for a stroll when I saw your light,"

"Oh?" I didn't believe him.

He nodded. "Whatever it is you are reading must be very enthralling." He gestured to the book clutched to my chest. "I came in a few minutes ago but you didn't even notice."

_*"So it wasn't my imagination."* _

His voice was calm and casual as was his face, but his eyes betrayed him. They had a dangerous glint in them that confirmed his precarious mood. I could not bring myself to speak. He was bound to get whatever it was he wanted sooner or later.

"It must be something you are not supposed to be reading." He mused as he began to walk around the small room, occasionally examining random objects in the space. "Or at least something you should not be reading at school." He turned to face me once again. A practiced, gentle smile played onto his lips. He was like a beautiful siren, luring me to my death. "Tell me," He pulled out his wand and began twirling it between his long slender fingers. "What was your mother's maiden name?"

He looked so casual; he could have been asking me what my favourite flavour of ice cream was. But it was not a casual question. He knew the answer but he wanted me to say it. And now I knew what he wanted - The books.

"Why?" I spat out. I wanted to draw out the inevitable as much as possible.

He sat down on a bench. "Just a question," He shrugged, leaning back. "Between friends..." He was using a new form of charm to manipulate me. He flashed a devilishly handsome smile, showing perfect dazzling white teeth.

_*"Oh he is good at this game. But he is very much mistaken if he thinks that I am going to do anything he wishes in return for a smile." * _"Well, I am _sorry_ Riddle, but I do not know my mother's maiden name." Mistake! I should not have flat-out lied to him. I should have continued to dance around the question until it came out that he knew. But I was growing more tense by the minute, not to mention I was a little insulted that he thought that I would be so easily controlled.

His smile vanished and morphed into calm annoyance. "Do not think you can get away with lying to me Violet." He stood up and once again moved towards me. "_What_ have you been reading?"

I could not look him in the eye. I had read about Occlumency in my books but did not yet fully understand it. However, I was quite sure that Tom did and would just read my mind I did not tell him.

"Look at me." I shook my head and stared at the ground, grasping my book for dear life.

I could tell that he was getting frustrated. My first hint was that he grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground. I was surprised by his strength as my body collided with the ground. He moved closer, glaring down at me. My breath caught in my throat as he raised his wand to my chest.

"If you do not tell me, I will find out for myself." He waited a moment longer. I knew I would not tell him so I prepared myself, as one of my books had said to do, and waited. Then it happened.

I did better that I thought I would. He did not immediately find the memory he was looking for. But he was persistent and my thoughts and memories were all of a sudden out for his viewing.

At first he was only able to see flashes. But as I grew weaker he began to see full memories - full, very painful memories.

* * *

**_~*Flash*~_**

_I lay on a bed in a dark room trying to sleep. Suddenly I am jolted from my rest by the sound of people yelling. My seven-year-old self stands up and walks carefully down a set of stairs to the source of the noise. _

"_We can't keep her here forever!" A young woman says. "She's not our kid! We shouldn't have to take care of her! She isn't our responsibility!"_

"_She's my cousin!" The man yells back._

_Noticing my presence the woman points, "Look at her! She's a waste of space!"_

_The man comes over to me and smiles sympathetically. "Go back to bed Violet." As though nothing had happened, he walks away. _

_I remain in the room looking up at the woman. There is anger and hatred in her eyes that I cannot understand. "He'll get tired of looking after you soon." She spits venomously as she passes me. "He doesn't want you now as it is."_

**_~*Flash*~_**

_I am now nine years old, standing in train station looking at departure times. I begin walking and eventually find my train. I board and find an empty seat next to an elderly woman._

_She smiles kindly at me. "Hello there." Weakly I return the smile. "What is your name?"_

"_Violet Rose Davis."_

"_What a lovely name. I am Matilda Linton." She shakes my hand. "Where are you going Violet?"_

"_To live with my Aunt, Maria Rochet, in Poole, Dorset." _

_The woman clapped her hands happily. "Oh, I live very near to your aunt. She lives in a large mansion on the coast not half a mile from my cottage. I have never spoken to her before…" She sees my concern and adds, "But I am sure that she is a lovely lady. But why are you travelling alone child?"_

_I give no answer – just bite my lip as I stare at my shoes._

**_~*Flash*~_**

_I am now standing at the front door of my aunt's mansion. I ring the doorbell and a house elf answers, ushering me inside. He leads me down a fancy hallway into an extremely extravagantly furnished parlour. My aunt is sitting in a high backed chair, awaiting my arrival. As I enter she stands up and comes over to examine me. _

_I see two other women sitting on the other side of the room, watching me as I stand scared out of my mind – waiting for her verdict. _

"_Oh dear," She says distastefully as she draws nearer. "She looks like her father."_

_Two children, around my age, are now standing in the doorway, watching me curiously. _

**_~*Flash*~_**

_Now ten, I am washing dishes in the kitchen when the door opens. Without a word my aunt pulls me from my work into the dining room. A man is waiting at the table. My two cousins are also sitting at the table looking at him enquiringly. He smiles at them but when he looks at me, he looks disgusted._

_I sit down as my aunt speaks. "Children, this is my new husband -"_

**_~*Flash*~_**

_I am sitting at a kitchen table, at the age of twelve. The same woman from the plane comes in with a plate of cookies and some milk._

"_So tell me, how was your first year at school? It must be very expensive for your aunt to send you to boarding school." I shrug. "What is your favourite subject?" She asks, pushing the plate of cookies towards me._

"_Lunch." I reply as I eagerly take one of the cookies and dip it in my milk._

_Matilda laughs._

**_~*Flash*~_**

_Fourteen - my aunt, uncle, cousins and I are at the Minister's Ball. I smile to a group of people who are looking at me, but catching my uncle's eye, my smile disappears and I once again become impassive. _

_After a few minutes of my uncle being greeted by friends and colleges, he pulls me to the side. "You better not even think about dancing! And you may not speak to anyone, understand?" I nod. "Good. Because you know what will happen if you disobey me…"_

_He walks away, leaving me standing alone in the corner of the ballroom._

**_~*Flash*~_**

_I stand in the dining room doorway – only this past summer. My aunt and uncle are sitting at the table facing each other._

"_Do you have any idea of the situation we're in?" My uncle asks cynically. "We actually have to find someone who won't completely disgrace us, yet is not so superior to her that he won't want her. But really…who would want her anyway -" Realising my presence, he turns his gaze towards me. "You make our lives difficult."_

There is another flash, but this time there are only small portions of memories rapidly blurring in and out of view.

_My uncle is yelling at me as I stand crying before him._

_My uncle is slapping me across the face repeatedly as he yells at me incoherently._

_From the past two summers – visions of my uncle. One after another, of him telling me that I am worthless, or that I am very lucky that my aunt didn't just throw me in an orphanage._

_And finally my last memory of my uncle before leaving for Hogwarts. He is cursing me. _

"_Crucio!" He yells at me as I scream and convulse on the floor. "Crucio!" _

_My aunt stands in the doorway – watching._

* * *

Suddenly I was jolted from my own mind, only to find myself back in the Gryffindor changing rooms, facing a very surprised Tom Riddle. I had begun crying involuntarily a while ago, but now the tears fell like rain. Tom remained silent as he watched me. I was furious at him for being able to see those things – which I had hoped nobody would ever see.

I couldn't look at him. Instead I turned on my heel and ran back to the castle. I ran as fast as a person can run while bawling their eyes out. I stumbled and faltered as I ran. The memories themselves didn't bother me so much any more. They used to, but now they only made me feel numb. My grief was caused by his knowing. I was afraid of him, and this was something he could very easily use against me. Now Tom Riddle knew just how unwanted I was.

* * *

**A/N:** Please leave a review. Your feedback is much appreciated!


	5. Time Heals All Wounds

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter Five; Time Heals All Wounds

_A lot can happen in a few days. Just when Violet thinks she has things figured out – Tom Riddle goes and makes things confusing._

_**A/N:**__ More magical violence in this chapter. I don't think it's too graphic though._

* * *

I ran as fast as my legs would allow me to go, into the castle. I absolutely flew down the stairs towards the Slytherin common room – only to slow down when I got to the portrait where I had to wait for the large print to swing open after I choked out the password. There were not many in the common room to see my distressed state; which I was grateful for. Something I was not grateful for however was my dormitory. Both of my roommates were in. They noticed my disheveled appearance the moment I stumbled through the door. I ignored their stares and attempted to calmly get ready for bed. Grabbing my things I walked silently into the bathroom and closed the door.

Removing my shirt, I examined my left arm. Tom had left very pronounced bruises on the upper part of my arm where he had grabbed me. Tears sill threatened to fall. Trying to keep myself together, I removed the rest of my clothes and stepped into the shower. The warm water felt so soothing on my tired body.

I returned to my room without a tear in sight. My roommates halted their already hushed conversation as I reentered. Noiselessly I walked to my four poster bed, put away my clothes and jumped into bed; closing the curtains so I could have a chance of being left alone.

* * *

The following day was not great; but I suppose this was to be expected. That morning, at breakfast, I arrived late and sat near a group of fourth years. I couldn't risk sitting with Laura and Emily. They would see right away that something was wrong. As I sat poking at my food, I could feel Tom's gaze. He stared at me the whole time I was there. I decided to get away after a few minutes of being unable to eat a bite. As I exited through the large doors of the Great Hall, I could hear someone following me. I knew who it would be so I sped up. Luckily I made it to my first class of the day, which I did not share with Tom, without him catching up to me.

It was at lunch that things began to get really interesting. I entered the Great Hall and sat on my own, at a deserted part of the Slytherin table. This time however, I was to share someone's company. Only a few seconds after I took my seat – Tom and several others slipped onto the bench beside and across from me. I froze. They made conversation with each other as though I wasn't even there – as if sitting with me was normal. Tom was sitting next to me. I was snapped out of my daze when he politely offered me bread. I grabbed my bag, swinging my legs over the bench and ran from the Great Hall. Everyone was staring at me, but it didn't matter. I just couldn't be near Tom. I would not allow Tom Riddle to change my life – my routine.

Unfortunately, my leaving so early left me with an excessive amount of time before my next class. I decided to try my dormitory. I slowed my pace as I grew closer to my destination. As I walked, I wondered why Tom would want my books. How had he even known about them? I was curious – but I was also scared, and by the time I had reached the portrait I had come to a conclusion. I would not go looking for answers, I would not try to figure out what Tom was up to, and I would most definitely not allow myself to be alone with Tom, or any of his followers ever again – starting now.

Nobody was in the common room so I was undisturbed as I went up to my room. I looked around the large room as I entered; studying the layout. Each girl's trunk was situated at the end of her bed. Each of us had things under our beds as well as things on top-of and inside the night tables next to our beds. Other than this, there were no other places for storage in the room. As I thought of this I realized how easy it would be for Tom to ask one of the other girls to steal the books from me. I had nowhere to hide them. Granted, Tom would never be able to read the books, but still, his having them meant my not having them. On top of this, if he were to get his hands on them, he would very soon realize that he could get nothing from them, but he would not simply discard them – no, not Tom Riddle. He would come after me; trying to make me tell him how to read them, about their secrets. No, I could not let him get a hold of them. I would have to think of some way of either hiding or disguising them. But for the moment, I just continued reading.

* * *

I left the dormitories a few minutes before class, allowing myself as little time as possible for travel. The more time I spent walking alone in the corridors, the more likely I was to come across Riddle. Despite my efforts, he still managed to find me. As I neared the open classroom, I saw Tom and two others waiting outside. There was only a minute and a half before class would start. But that was still a minute and a half that I would have to waste before entering the classroom. I looked around for someone to converse with. _*"Ah! Perfect!"* _I had spotted that tall Hufflepuff boy that I sat next to in Transfiguration. He was leaning casually against the stone wall, a little to my left. He seemed to be a quiet boy, but I could tell he really wasn't. I had seen him with some of his friends and he was certainly no angel. His name, I believe, was Bruce Raines, and to the best of my knowledge, he was notorious for being a lady-killer. This I had learned of course from Emily, who had told me that he had been with most of the girls in our year, the year below and even a few girls in seventh year. Of course Emily had assured me that she had never been with him – though I doubted her honesty, I said nothing. Anyway, I was willing to talk to anyone right now, to say away from Tom, even to a womanizer.

"Hey." I greeted.

He looked up and a cocky grin spread across his face. "Heey…"

_*"Oh great. He thinks I'm hitting on him. I better think of something specific to ask him about."*_

"Um, do you know if we had any homework? I forgot some of my stuff and I can't remember." _*"Smooth Violet, very smooth. I'm sure he doesn't think I'm just trying to flirt now."*_ I internally rolled my eyes.

He grinned even wider at my lame attempt at a conversation. "Sorry Davis, I was busy all weekend. If we did have any homework, I didn't do it."

His answer really didn't leave me much to build a conversation on. "ah… I see… " He said nothing – the twit. "Well, thanks anyway." He nodded, still grinning, and continued to watch me as I headed towards the door of the classroom.

_*"What a moron! Doesn't he get the concept of small-talk? Well, I guess I have learned a valuable lesson today – never depend on others being able to hold up their own end of a conversation."*_

I felt just peeved enough about Bruce and my talk that I was able to walk into the classroom with everyone else, without even noticing Tom. Class itself went just fine. Except every once in a while I would notice Bruce looking at me. At first I was annoyed that he had taken my speaking to him as a sign that I liked him, but eventually I got over it and resolved that worrying about keeping Bruce Raines away from me would be a good distraction.

As I headed for my last class of the day, I decided to sit with Emily and Laura a supper. Now that I had had some time to get over the previous day, they might not be able to pick up on my desolation.

For the first time all year I paid attention in Ancient Runes… well for a while. After a few minutes of listening I realized that I had no idea what was going on; probably from having not listened during all of the previous classes. So I gave up and doodled for the remainder of the class.

After class, I headed to Supper. I was looking forward to eating with Laura and Emily. I decided to take the short way, in the hope of avoiding Tom. However, as I rounder a corner on a fifth floor I heard voices – luckily before they heard me. Quickly I stepped back around the corner and stood there, listening. Several Slytherins were standing around Tom as he spoke. For a moment I could not make out what he was saying. Then he stopped and another began. This time I could hear the person speaking.

"Can't we just force her? I mean it's not like it would be that hard." A few others laughed.

To my surprise - and apparently to theirs - Tom said no.

"No?" One of the Slytherins asked incredulously.

Tom ignored him. "The plan has changed. It has come to my attention that it will be more difficult than we thought and mere force will not do at all. We will have to go about it in a different way."

"What do you mean? What's happened?" Without seeing him, I could sense Tom rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I suppose you missed that little display at breakfast, did you? She is getting braver." He paused a moment in thought. "But even so, it should not be a problem - If all goes as I expect."

"I don't know," No doubt this particular Slytherin, whose voice I did not recognize, was getting on Tom's nerves. "She does seem… different, now."

"Do you doubt me?" Tom asked annoyed, his voice full of authority.

"No, but -"

"Even if she is deciding to be difficult, she is still the submissive child she always was, and will do as she is told." Those around him made haughty sounds of agreement. "She just does not yet understand the situation, but it must be conveyed gently." Tom stopped. I peeked around the corner slightly. No one was facing me directly so I was able to get a clear, unobserved view of the scene. Tom was surveying his cohorts with what I thought to be distaste. "I believe I should do it- so that means I want her unharmed until that time, understood?" His subordinates mumbled sounds of agreement. Tom dismissed them and the group disbursed. "We will discuss this further later this evening."

_*"Submissive child."*_ The words echoed in my head as I slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor. Whoever it was who they had been talking about, was certainly not going to be left alone – and I had a pretty good idea who she was - me.

* * *

I ran to the Great Hall and slid into the seat next to Emily. Both of my friends looked up at me in surprise. "Hello. How have the two of you been?"

"Alright," Emily answered. "We haven't seen you much lately. We were worried about you."

"No need, no need. I am quite well, just been busy. You know how it is…" As I reached forward for the potatoes I realized my hands were shaking. I grabbed the dish, breathing deeply, and began to spoon its contents onto my plate.

"Violet -" Laura began slowly. She leaned closer to me from across the table. "What's wrong? You know you can tell us." As I looked up at her, I saw Tom over her shoulder, taking his seat at the Slytherin table. I stared at him as he sat so calmly, carefully depositing food on his own plate. He was acting so normal, it caught me off guard. Laura turned around to follow my gaze. She turned back and looked at me questioningly.

"Does this have something to do with Riddle?" Emily asked. I looked down at my plate and shook my head.

"Yes it does." Laura contradicted. "It has something to do with what happened this morning at breakfast -" I looked up at her. "Everyone saw Violet. What is going on?"

I sighed, looking around at the rest of the table. "Not now -" Both girls nodded and we finished our meal in virtual silence, with Laura and Emily trying to make banter only once or twice. Their efforts were to no avail as I was in no state to keep up conversation.

We left the Great Hall rather late. Most of the students were already gone. We walked in silence for a while; until we reached an area of the school that was not normally very hectic. There were no other students in sight; not even any ghosts were to be seen.

"So are you going to tell us what is going on?" Laura asked. Emily elbowed her.

"If she doesn't want to tell us, or she isn't ready to yet, we are not going to force her."

"I know that, but -"

I rolled my eyes and continued walking as my friends argued. After a moment, they realized I had moved on and jogged to catch up.

"So," Emily asked encouragingly. "Do you think you're ready to tell us?"

I stopped walking and looked up at them. "I don't know. I don't think it would make much sense now if I told you. Besides, there is more to it than what just happened -" I didn't want to have to tell them about the memories that Tom had seen. That was basically my life story and telling that to anyone, of my own free will, was not something I could handle right now. "I want to tell you – and I know I will. But it isn't really that big a deal. I am probably just overreacting anyway." I smiled at them. "I think I will go to bed and just get some rest. You know, as they say, "_time heals all wounds_" maybe I just need to give it time. "

We parted. I knew they were dejected that I had decided to keep what had happened from them, but it could not be helped. There was still a chance that Tom was the only one who knew about my life. His followers had appeared to know nothing, or at least very little of our meeting the previous night. I hoped it would stay that way.

I walked slowly down the corridor; totally lost in thought. Suddenly I jumped. Someone had come out from behind a statue and was now standing in front of me.

"Violet -" Tom nodded politely to me. He had clearly been waiting for me.

"What do you want?" My first instinct was to go for my wand, but on second thought I decided against it. What good would it do me against Tom?

His polite, impassive attitude disappeared and his face became indecipherable. "Funny, I don't recall bluntness to be one of your characteristics…" I remained silent and continued to look him in the eye, with what I hoped to be perceived as defiance. "We need to have a little chat – if you will come with me…" Tom gestured with his left hand to an empty classroom. I hesitated too long for him. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulled me roughly into the room. "Now," He let go of me; waving his wand and causing the door to close, and lock.

He opened his mouth to continue but I interrupted him. "I know what you want." He raised an eyebrow and indicated that I should continue. "I know you want my books, but you're not going to get them. Even if you were to get them you would never be able to use them; you couldn't read them – no one can. And I will never _ever_ help you with anything that involves depravity. I know that's why you want the books. Because you think they will help you gain some _great knowledge_ of some unknown dark magic. Well, I have news for you Tom Riddle. They are mine, and you can't have them." Sure it was an immature thing to say, but I hadn't had much time to think that speech through. I had not planned on having another confrontation with Tom, let alone standing up to him.

He did not look happy. Not one little bit. _*"Oh crap."*_ Lazily Tom waved his wand, using a non-verbal. I was thrown to the floor.

He slowly walked towards me as I looked up at him. Then he did something I did not at all expect him to do. Sure it was Tom – I should have been expecting the worst, but I suppose my mind had been trying to stay optimistic.

"Crucio." He did not yell, or scream – he just spoke, calmly, as though he were demonstrating a spell for charms class. "Crucio."

I was, as you can imagine, in a great deal of pain. For a moment I clenched my teeth and tried to control myself, but it was too much. I screamed – he continued.

"Tom – Please!" I looked up at him as best I could from my position. "Tom -" I screamed again.

He stopped. My breathing was now extremely heavy and erratic. Looking up I realized that Tom was walking towards me again. I whimpered as he bent down to me. He studied me. His expression was rather odd. He looked – confused, as though he didn't quite know what to do about something. Tears continued to roll down my cheeks from the pain still flowing through my body. I looked into his eyes as he spoke.

"Are you really a half-blood?"

I gazed at him, perplexed. "Y-yes." His eyes again roamed over my tearstained face.

Tom stood up and began to pace, back and forth, in deep thought. I began attempting to get up. My body was not being much help. I waited a little longer for the pain to subside before I tried a second time. This time I was able to sit up.

_*"Success! Wow, where has this optimism come from?"*_

I put my hand up to my throbbing head and looked over at Tom. He was watching me. His face was blank, only for a moment though before it changed to a look of…resolve, I guess you could say. He had obviously come to a decision about something. Suddenly he turned to the door, waving his wand to unlock it. As his hand turned the doorknob, he paused and without looking back at me said, "Go to your room Violet." He left me alone in the dusty classroom.

* * *

I was beyond confused. Tom's behavior had been totally bizarre. Another two days passed without incident. I saw him in class and in the halls, but he never spoke to me. He held a door open for me once and appeared to be nothing but courteous in every way and was acting as though nothing had ever happened.

Anyway, it was two days after Tom and my last meeting. I was heading to the library for a book for Charms. As I rounded a corner, I saw a group of Slytherins. Unlike last time, they saw me before I could hide.

I came to a halt in front of them. There were six; Dolohov, Lestrange, Rosier, Malfoy, Mulciber and Avery. _*"This is not good at all…"*_ Dolohov, Lestrange and Mulciber were three of the biggest guys in the school – not to mention the most intimidating, besides Tom. Dolohov was all brawn, no brains. Lestrange scared me a lot. Were it not for this, I would have liked him. Quite good looking; he was quietly intimidating rather than loud and boisterous. But he was deep down just like the rest of them; a bully. Rosier had a wiry build and was slightly shorter than some of the others. He was the easiest person to understand that I had ever known; he was a pervert, plain and simple. There was nothing more to him. He was interested in nothing else. Malfoy had to be the most conceited, stuck-up, overconfident prick in the world. Mulciber was a beater on the Slytherin team, and he looked it. The guy was huge, and although not entirely unattractive, he had a vulgar way about him that could turn you right off. Avery was average in almost every way. Average height, average build, and average intelligence – but there was one area in which he was exceptional; I had always found that he had the ability to deceive far better than any of the others. He was second only to the king of Slytherin himself – Tom Riddle. He was always able to fool people into believing that he was a good little boy. Even most of the professors thought that he was a little angel. With the other Slytherin boys, most of the professors knew what they were. For the most part they just chose to ignore it.

Anyway, I stood before them, only for a moment when they looked up to see me. Then I turned on my heal and began to walk away. But of course, they had different plans. They got to me in a split-second. Mulciber and Lestrange stood in front of me. It seemed as though they were looking straight down on me. I was of an average height and build, but compared to them I was an ant. I wheeled around again to find Avery and Rosier directly behind me and to my left and right; Dolohov and Malfoy.

_*"Shit!"* _I was in _big_ trouble.

Rosier had a sickening smile on his face. "What's the hurry Davis? Don't you want to stay and have a chat?" He looked me up and down. The guy disgusted me. I turned around again, deciding I would rather deal with Mulciber and Lestrange.

I glared up at them. "What do you want?" I spoke with a surprising amount of authority.

Both of their faces twisted into something that resembled a smile. "Only to say hello, Violet dear." Boy, Lestrange sure knew how to get the ladies. His deep, rough voice sounded like – well I don't exactly know, but it was beautiful. I shivered slightly.

"Oh? Well isn't that just lovely. I had a similar reason for coming here. I was going to invite you all to join me later for tea and crumpets in the Library. I was thinking about sending out invitations but then I thought, no, a personal invitation would mean so much more. Now be sure to wear your Sunday best, I've also invited the Queen, Errol Flynn and Sherlock Holmes." I turned to my right to leave, but found an unmoving Malfoy to be blocking my escape. Oh how I wanted to hex that smirk off his face. I turned the other way. Dolohov blocked that way. I stood still and took a deep breath. "Can someone please move? I don't have all day! I've got a lot of baking to do before our tea party."

Instead of moving away, they all moved in closer. "But Violet," Mulciber grabbed my arm. "Don't you want to play with us?" I vaguely remembered the last time they had offered to _"play"_. It had involved them hexing and jinxing me until I could barely walk.

"Maybe later -" I tried to pull away but Rosier grabbed my other arm. I began to struggle violently as they pulled me towards a darker corridor. "Let me go!" I squirmed, but it didn't seem to do much good. So I commenced kicking.

With the first kick I got Dolohov right where it hurts. "Arrgh! Damn! Son of a -" He continued swearing as he bent over in pain. Unfortunately, my triumph was short-lived, as Lestrange then took hold of both of my legs. His grip was so strong, I could barley even struggle. So, I had to let myself be carried.

They dropped me when they had found a place they believed to be satisfactory. "Ouch!"

Malfoy pulled out his wand and was about to speak when Avery spoke up. He held up his hand to stop Malfoy, addressing him in what was barely above a whisper. "Malfoy, you're not actually going to do anything are you? You heard what Riddle said." He glanced down at me. His voice had dropped, inconspicuously, even lower at the last part of that sentence. He obviously didn't want me to hear it.

"No, what exactly did he say?" I piped in to make sure he knew I heard him.

They all ignored me. "Yeah. I heard him. But he didn't say anything about having a little fun with her."

"I don't know…" Avery looked torn. He obviously wanted very much to cause me harm, but he also didn't want to do anything to upset Tom.

"C'mon," Dolohov interjected. "The bitch deserves it." He pulled out his own wand. He clearly wanted revenge on me for causing damage to his…manhood.

Rosier stepped forward. "You know we could always -"

"Rosier!" Avery glared at him. "Not now!"

He grinned down at me. "Later then…"

_*"Gag!"*_

"Let's get on with it!" Lestrange was getting bored.

After another minute, Avery gave in and it began. It was far worse than it had ever been in the past. They had always used dark magic that I didn't know before, but now, they were being far more cruel. I managed to scream only once before they put a silencing charm over me. I cried as they took turns. I writhed on the flood, twisting as silent screams emitted my mouth.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a voice cut through the silence. "Enough!" The pain ceased. The six Slytherins turned to see Tom standing at one end of the corridor. He looked angry. As he walked towards the group they all started talking at once, trying to explain themselves, but Tom held up his hand to quiet them and walked past the group towards me. I pulled myself backwards, away from him. I stumbled to my feet as he continued getting closer and I ran. I ran in the opposite direction down the corridor – not stopping until I was once again in my dormitory.

* * *

I fell onto my bed. Tears blinded me as I lay there. What was wrong with me? Why was I to be used as an experiment for them. I shuddered at the thought of the pain I had felt only moments ago. I was caught off guard when I felt a hand gently patting my back. I jolted upwards. Cedrella was sitting on the side of my bed looking down at me with concern. Eileen was also there, standing next to Cedrella.

"Are you alright?" Eileen asked softly.

"Fine." I answered, wiping my eyes.

Cedrella looked at me with obvious pity in her eyes. She too spoke gently, as though talking to and animal that might attack at a loud noise. "We hear Malfoy and some of the others say they were going to go looking for you today. Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

I sniffed. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Ok, well, if you do need anything -" I nodded thanks.

I didn't even change. I just lied down and went to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning in a cold sweat from constant nightmares. I considered not going to class – just staying in my room, but after I had showered, changed and had time to think, I decided that it wouldn't help me.

I went to breakfast as I normally did, and sat in my normal place. I ignored the burning sensation I was getting that I was being watched and continued to eat. When it did not go away however, I looked up. They were watching me - Dolohov, Lestrange, Rosier, Malfoy, Mulciber and Avery. They looked confused – like I had done something astounding to confound them. But I had not done anything. I ignored it and went back to my breakfast.

I headed to Transfiguration in fairly good spirits. My mood swings were not so out of the ordinary; I was fairly used to the Slytherin form of bullying. I entered the already open classroom. Bruce was already there. Behind him were some more of his Hufflepuff friends. They watched me as I sat in my seat next to their friend.

"Good morning." I greeted politely. Bruce's friends were grinning evilly.

"Good morning to you." Bruce replied.

I smiled and began rifling through my bag for my Transfiguration books. _*"I am so disorganized!"*_

Through the corner of my eye, I saw Bruce shoo his fiends away. Reluctantly they went to their own seats. Bruce leaned back in his seat and watched me. "You should be more organized."

I looked up at him. "Huh?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. Gesturing to my bag he said, "It's like a bomb went off in there."

I looked down at my bag. It did rather look like a disaster area. I looked back up at him. "You should see my room." A crooked grin spread across his face as I realized what I said. I quickly went back to searching for anything Transfiguration related.

Bruce leaned forward on the desk. "I should."

I peered up at him. "On second thought, maybe not." He smiled.

Class was actually quite enjoyable. Bruce was an excellent distraction from everything. It was amusing for me to see the way he worked. He had an interesting mind, and it needed analyzing – badly. I would think on it.

I hardly even noticed Tom and the others. I saw them walk in and heard them when they answered questions, but other than that, it was as though they weren't even there.

Next up – Charms! _*"Yippee!"*_ And of course my assignment was not done, thanks to my good friends last night. I had not been able to get to the Library to get the book I needed to complete the assignment. I entered the classroom dreading my punishment. I was not a perfect student and this was bound to be the Professor's last straw. I saw, when he charmed all the papers to land on his desk; he had looked at me – disappointed.

After class he asked me to stay. "Yes Professor Oddwood?"

"Miss Davis. I will be brief – You are falling behind, far behind. Now, I don't know what is going on. You have never been an exceptional student, but your marks as of late have been appalling."

"I'm sorry Professor."

"I personally don't believe that you will be able to make it through the year and receive a passing mark on your own, so I have arranged for a tutor." I swallowed. "Now don't worry, he is my best student and I am positive that with his help you will manage to get through the remainder of the term." I stared at him. "Your first meeting will be tonight, in my classroom at eight o'clock. After that you may decide where and when you would like to meet."

"T-thank you Professor."

"You are very welcome. You may go."

I walked out of the Charms classroom with a lump in my throat. "_His best student"_. There was only one person I knew who fit that description – Tom Riddle.

* * *

I did not pay attention to anything else that day. It seemed like no time before I was supposed to return to the Charms classroom. As I walked, I hoped Professor Oddwood would be there. As I opened the door I heard the Professor's voice speaking to someone.

"Ahh, Miss Davis! Here we are. This is your tutor!" Tom was watching me for a reaction. I did not give him one. "Riddle my boy," He slapped him on the back. "I trust you will be able to keep Miss Davis' grades acceptable."

"Of course Professor." Tom's voice was so smooth and perfect. I wondered how that voice could belong to such a person.

"Excellent! Well I am off -"

"Bu -" I tried to object.

"I have quite a lot of making to do"

"But I -"

"Work hard."

"Professor -"

"Goodnight."

He was gone. Tom was watching me curiously. I glanced at him. He motioned to a seat. "Shall we?" Hesitantly I sat down. "Professor Oddwood has shown me some of your recent work." He said calmly. "It was very…interesting." I couldn't even bring myself to glare at him. All I could manage was to stare at the desk in front of me. Tom set me to rewriting my most recent essay – the one I didn't do. I had been working for nearly half an hour when Tom told me to stop. "I think we can practice today's charm now. I noticed during class you couldn't quite get it."

We both stood up. "Ok, pull out your wand." I eyed his wand wearily. "Come on." He coaxed. I drew out my own wand shakily.

He showed me the charm a few times so I could see how it should work and then he let me try. My hands were trembling. After about my fifth try he stopped me. Grabbing my hands he looked into my eyes. "Calm down Violet. It's ok." I was amazed at how soothing his voice was. It was calming and gentle; so unlike the Tom that I had seen over the past few days. "Try again -"

I did try, but I remained a nervous wreck. Once again he stopped me; this time when he spoke he was clearly not referring to the lesson. "You know you don't have to be afraid if you just cooperate." I pulled away from him, closing my bag as I headed for the door. He moved into my way. I looked up at him. His face was, as his voice had been; calm. After a moment or two of silence, he moved out of my way. But as I went to pass him, his hand shot up to my arm. I turned back to him, a little frightened. "You know, I could always protect you from anything." I was confused beyond belief. He let go of my arm once again. "Go straight to the common room. It will be after hours soon."

He did not accompany me to the Slytherin common room, so I walked on my own. What the devil did Tom mean by saying that? _"You know, I could always protect you from anything"._ Was he still trying to manipulate me? I didn't know.

* * *

**A/N: **Of course I don't own the Queen, Errol Flynn or Sherlock Holmes:P


	6. Piano Concerto No 21

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...**

Chapter Six; Piano Concerto No. 21

_It's that time of year again! No, I don't mean tax day, I am talking about Christmas, and with Christmas comes the annual Minister's Ball! Oh how excited Violet is..._

**A/N: **Ok, now I would like everyone to remember that this takes place in the 40s, when Tom is in school. Just a reminder. Haha – Cecil, its an awesome name ok! And I used Sherlock Holmes' last name, Rathbone! Also I apologize for the long wait! I am very sorry! My time has been consumed by school and various other world issues:/

* * *

As the days rolled by, things began going back a state of _almost_ normal. Having finished my books, I had begun to concentrate a little more on my schoolwork. I was also spending more time with Laura and Emily, which seemed to have a good effect on my disposition. The Slytherins had stopped bothering me completely. It seemed as though they had forgotten that I even existed. Even Tom seemed to have forgotten about me. He was now treating me the same way he did everyone else. He was polite and courteous, but we rarely spoke and he appeared to be avoiding me most of the time. We did continue with my tutoring though. We met in the Library every Wednesday after supper. During those meetings Tom was... well Tom, at least the Tom that the professors knew – not at all the same Tom he had been towards me from the beginning of the year. But my curiosity with Tom had been peeked. Our first tutoring session had been extremely peculiar. He had not been at all threatening, as I had imagined he would be, rather he seemed calm and placid. But of course this had to be some sort of ploy to get me to trust him or something foolish like that. I reasoned afterwards that what Tom probably meant by _"You know, I could always protect you from anything "_ was that if I became one of his followers, I would see how powerful he is and that would… give me piece of mind - ok that doesn't make sense at all – I had no bloody idea what he meant. And once I got over the initial curiosity, I had no want whatsoever to find out. I didn't want to be reminded of that episode of my life ever again, and bringing it up with Tom would only encourage him.

Days turned into weeks and in no time at all, it was Christmas break. Hogwarts at Christmas was a beautiful sight to behold. Lights of all kinds adorned every door and window. Decorated trees were randomly placed throughout the school. The ghosts would sing carols in the evenings and at meals, and the best part of all was the general cheeriness that would spread among the professors and students. Happy children, ready to go home for the holidays, were always such a merry sight to behold. Everyone always seemed so happy to go home for Christmas. A whole week before, they would be packing and discussing their plans with friends. Even Slytherins seemed to be less sullen than normal. Professors seemed more generous with their marking as well. I suppose they have lives too and had things to look forward to, as unlikely as it seems.

As always, I would be returning home for the holidays. I was not looking forward to it though. I had received a letter from my aunt, informing me that my cousin Mary was to be engaged to the Minister for Magic's nephew. I was shocked when I learned this. I wasn't even aware that they knew each other – love at first sight I guess… Anyway, this reminded me of the dreadful Winter Minister's Ball we attended every year. I loathed such events. It was always the same – oh those jolly old rich people would be bustling through the main doors in their wealthy garb; the women in their expensive jewels; the men in their…man jewelry. And of course the wealthy little brats that came along; like little Kings and Queens they would come dressed up as though they were royalty – Sickening!

I boarded the train with mixed emotions. Going home would ensure quite a nice distance was between myself and Tom Riddle, however he had left me alone over the past few weeks and going home meant that I would have to deal with my "family" – But I had no choice in the matter. As I strode calmly down the corridor of the train something, or rather someone caught my eye. I backtracked a step or two to take a peek into the compartment I had just passed. Sitting next to the window was Tom, quietly staring out of the window, watching the remaining students boarding while his companions chattered on like a bunch of chickens, or turkeys. Having not found it important enough to occupy my mind, I did not bother deciding which. Quickly I continued walking as to not be noticed. What was Tom doing on the train? He never went home for the Holidays – Never. In all the years he had gone to Hogwarts, not once did he return home for anything other than summer break. I contemplated this only for a moment or two before deciding it didn't have anything to do with me and it didn't matter. I joined Laura and Emily in their compartment.

We spent the train ride mostly discussing our plans for the holidays. Laura would be travelling again with her mother and father. This time they were going to Switzerland to spend Christmas with family in the mountains. Emily, who had a very large family, would be staying at home, but regaled us with amusing anecdotes from past Christmases. Her Christmas breaks always sounded so nice to me. I normally spent Christmas watching my aunt and uncle give my cousins gifts. Before my "uncle" came into the picture, I actually got a decent amount of presents. In my mind it was my aunt's way of showing me that she cared. It had been wishful thinking. I saw now that there was no real thought behind it.

I gazed out of the window at the train slowed. We were there. Stepping onto the platform I said goodbye to Emily and Laura. They were in a hurry to go to their families, so I didn't want to delay them any longer than necessary. In the letter from my aunt, informing me of my cousin's engagement, I had also been notified that since everyone was so busy at home that I was to take a taxi - Lovely. As I stood outside the station I looked around. There were always more people around at Christmas. My eyes lazily scanned the crowds of people, finally landing on someone loading a trunk into a taxi. It was Tom. I watched him step into the taxi before it drove off. I knew little about Tom's life away from Hogwarts. I didn't know where he went or what he did, all I knew was that he was a half-blood and lived somewhere in London.

* * *

_*"Sometimes I have the ability of appearing invisible. Isn't that fascinating? This is why it took thirty minutes for a taxi to finally stop for me. But of course it is gift that I bare with dignity."*_

After paying the driver, I took hold of my trunk and walked towards the large main doors of my "home". I took a deep breath before opening the door. "Hello," I called, hoping that I would get no answer. I didn't, so I gladly lugged my things up to my room to unpack without having to deal with any crap from my aunt and uncle. I could think of few things that I loathed more than that house. Not that it was in a bad area or had anything wrong with it per se, it was in a rather calm and remote place not to mention well built and furnished; it was the atmosphere that killed me. Even without anyone at home, the air seemed filled with an emotion I could not really place, for it was not something which I myself had ever felt. It was a sickening, greedy, resentful, ruthless sort of air – tainted with a fake semblance of love and affection. I doubt if you will find such an atmosphere described in any scholarly journals, but it was real, and it was constantly present.

I trudged up the stairs and down the hall…then up some more stairs until I got to my room. I held my breath as I opened the door. I always had the fear that my things would be disrupted while I was gone. I was always thankful when they were not. I had managed to collect a rather impressive collection of random things over the course of my short life. Various books, records and clothes littered my room. I smiled. Despite my lack for want of being back in that place, it felt rather good in that moment to be alone with only my own possessions – in a room undisturbed by time over my stay at Hogwarts.

As I sat on the edge of my bed, looking around, I heard noises from downstairs. They were home. I took my time going down. I was not looking forward to their welcome. They were bustling around, rather unlike themselves. I stood in the doorway of the kitchen to watch the four of them. John was pulling things out of a shopping bag; Mary was running from one side of the room to the other, picking things up and moving them around as she mumbled things to herself. My aunt and uncle were attempting to organize the mess that was now the kitchen. Finally I was noticed.

"Oh. You're here are you? Humph." My Uncle's greeting caught me off guard. It was probably the nicest thing he had ever said to me – not saying much about the other things he'd said to me, I know. My Aunt looked up from what she was doing, but did not otherwise acknowledge me.

"Oh! Violet, Just the person I wanted to see. I need your help with my invitations for the wedding." Mary ushered me into another room where she began instructing me on what I was to do.

* * *

The Minister's Winter Ball was to be two days before Christmas. For me time spent at home went by slowly, but for Mary it was not going slow enough. She was rather becoming a nervous wreck. Luckily my busy schedule allowed me quite a bit of time to help her. John was of no use whatsoever. He spent more of his time "helping" setting us back than doing anything useful. Eventually he was sent away to do what he wanted.

Finally the day of the Ball came. I for one was as calm and lethargic as I always was. I seemed to be the only one. But then again, I was not having an engagement announced to the whole Wizarding world. Hopefully I would never have to go through this. Knowing my uncle's embarrassment of me, it wasn't likely that I would – suited me just fine. My aunt and uncle were both almost….excited. It was an odd thing to see them excited. Mary of course had bouts of both warm and cold feet. One minute she would be doubting her decision to get married; crying her eyes out, and then the next minute she was smiling; tears of joy in her eyes as she reminisced about the times she had spent with Cecil. John was excited too, but for a different reason. He had a date. My uncle had apparently set him up with the daughter of a man who worked at the ministry.

"Very high up," He had said. "It's good to make connections young." Of course she was a pureblood, not to mention filthy rich.

I went up to my room to get ready three hours before we were to leave. This was mostly to get away from everyone but also, I did need a bit of time to decide what I was going to wear. I had not been permitted to go out to buy a dress. My aunt had instead bought a few dresses, which I was to choose from. They were all much nicer that the ones I usually wore. In fact, they were stunning. Not that I didn't normally have nice clothes; I was expected to look my best as to not disgrace anyone, while at the same time not having anything nicer or looking better than Mary. If I were smarter and/or prettier, it would be a regular Cinderella story. I inspected each dress carefully before trying them on. The first was a very frilly, very peach-coloured dress. It was lovely, but definitely not for me. The next was a long, tight red, evening style dress. I laughed when I saw myself in it. Not to say that I looked bad, just not myself. I decided it was a little too revealing for my taste and went on to the next one; hoping that it would be tolerable. The third and final dress was certainly a winner. It was very me. It fell past the knee in a very poofy fashion. The top was fitting but not too tight to be uncomfortable and it was purple – violet to be exact; my colour.

I waited until just a few moments before we were going to leave until I went downstairs. Everyone was still waiting on John, who was apparently having difficulty deciding what to wear for the first time in his life.

* * *

The Ballroom was adorned with every decoration imaginable. Sparkly reds, greens, golds and silvers assaulted my senses from every direction. It was almost overwhelming. I say almost because after a few years, you get used to it. I gazed around at the guests as my aunt, uncle and two cousins were greeted by people they knew. I watched John as he hurried in the opposite direction of a particularly talkative old witch who seemed to like him. She always managed to find him at Ministry events. She was a very wealthy woman. Although I was unsure of her name, I was sure that she had to be of some relation to Helga Hufflepuff. She looked just like her. Eventually John found his lady-friend and they began an awkward yet composed conversation under the watchful eye of her father.

I recognized all of the pureblood families in attendance. There were of course in addition to pureblood families, Ministry workers as well as quite a few Hogwarts professors.

Mary had joined her fiancé and was now chatting merrily with his family and the Minister himself. I cared little for the minister myself. He seemed a pompous old windbag to me and was of little real use to anyone. But of course my opinion was kept to myself.

"Violet!" I winced as I turned to my uncle. "This way."

We walked on, deeper into the crowds of people. Pausing every once-in-a-while to say hello to someone. We stopped when we were a little closer to the front of the room. My aunt wanted a good view for when the engagement was announced.

"Steven!" Someone called from a group to our right. My uncle turned to see who had called as the man moved forward.

"Ah, Horace." The two men shook hands. I was a bit surprised that they knew each other well enough to be on first-name terms.

"How have you been fairing? Been a lot of uproar in your department recently, eh? Suppose you must be up to your eyes in complaints. "

My uncle sighed. "Ah yes, well, hopefully our troubles will be over soon. Things are bound to get better."

"I suppose so." I dosed off a little as I stood there – only listening to the conversation at random intervals. Finally I was noticed.

"I suppose you know my niece Violet?" I looked up at Slughorn.

He peered at me a moment then smiled and nodded. "Of course, of course. A valuable member of my house, hm."

I smiled politely. "Hello Professor."

They continued talking about different things. But for some reason I was getting the feeling that my uncle wanted me to speak. What was I supposed to say? I played it safe despite his hinting and remained silent.

The room was getting louder and louder with conversations as time went on. Eventually the music began and people started dancing. I chuckled to myself as I saw John and his lady-friend dancing. They were not doing a good job at covering up their nervousness as they stepped on each other's feet and stumbled around the room.

Mary and Cecil had also taken to the dance floor. They however looked quite a bit more dignified as they glided across the floor; avoiding other couples as they swayed to the music.

"Yes I suppose the Ministry will be looking for new faces soon. Not enough decent workers as it is unfortunately. Not nearly enough." Horace shook his head as My uncle nodded in agreement. "Oh, that reminds me," My mind went fuzzy as Slughorn called a man from the group to our right – A very tall, slender man, with black hair. I watched the back of his head as he turned, and then looked into his blue eyes as he faced us.

"Tom, my boy." Slughorn patted him on the back as he stood beside him. "Steven Rathbone, Tom Riddle." They nodded to each other and shook hands. "Of course you know Tom, Violet." I swallowed and nodded. Tom smiled pleasantly and nodded a hello to me.

Both Slughorn and Tom turned their attention back to my uncle. "I invited Tom here just for that reason you know? Thought people from the Ministry would want to meet him. Claim him while they can, eh -" He elbowed Tom jokingly. "He's my best student you know?" Slughorn looked at me suddenly. Obviously my uncle's presence made him feel the need to compliment me. It was not necessary. "But of course Violet here could give him a run for his money." My uncle looked at me and raised an eyebrow. When he looked back at Slughorn I rolled my eyes. Noticing Tom's smirk I turned my attention to the table we were closest to. It had a large punchbowl, which seemed to keep refilling itself, and a great assortment of deserts.

"Steven," My aunt joined us. "Sorry to interrupt," She apologized. "They are going to make the announcement soon. Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby are at the front."

"Ah yes, excuse us Slughorn, Riddle -" They turned and walked through the crowds to the front. This invitation to the front had not included me. Slughorn looked around at some of the other guests before turning back to me.

"Do you know the Hornsbys very well?"

"Not at all."

He looked disappointed. "Yes, well I suppose it is difficult for young people to get out these days, and with so many undesirable people about..." He looked around again. It was hard to know what Slughorn meant by comments like these. It was certainly confusing. I was not sure that he was a pureblood maniac but I got the feeling that he was just influence hungry – Anyone of no importance was likely considered one of these "undesirables". If you knew a guy, who knew a guy, who shared an office with someone of importance, then you were welcome to have a word with Horace Slughorn.

We stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment or two before Slughorn broke it. "Tom, why don't you go get Violet some punch? It is getting terribly dry in here."

"Of course." Tom strode away towards the previously mentioned table with the never-ending punchbowl.

Slughorn smiled at me before going back to looking around the room again. All of a sudden he looked very excited. "Oh goodness, is that Philip Rosier? I haven't seen him in years." He looked back at me. "Please excuse me won't you?" He didn't really wait for my answer. "Philip! I say Philip!"

I sighed and turned towards the dance floor. I had never danced before, but it didn't look that hard. A minute later someone touched my arm. I turned to see Tom offering me punch. "Oh, thank you," I mumbled, taking the drink from him and having a small sip. To my dismay, he continued to stand with me.

The music stopped and someone appeared on the platform at the front of the room. It was the Minister. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He looked around in an arrogant, self-important manner. "I am so pleased to welcome you to this most recent, annual Minister's Winter Ball!" Everyone clapped – I didn't; my excuse was my glass of punch, and Tom didn't. He stood tall with a straight, unreadable look on his face as he watched with his hands in his pockets. "As always, our turnout is wonderful and I hope you are all enjoying yourselves." More clapping. "And now I would like to make an announcement."

I groaned – Tom looked at me. _*"Woops, did I do that out loud!"*_ I looked back up at the Minister.

"As many of you may know, my nephew here," Cecil appeared at his uncle's side. "has been courting the lovely Miss Mary Rochet-Rathbone,"

_*"Clap, clap, clap!"*_

"- and they have very recently been engaged to be married!"

_*"Clap, clap, clap!"*_

"So I would like to proudly present to you the soon to be, Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby!"

_*"Applause."*_

The happy couple stood together on the stage, waving to their adoring fans. I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous showiness.

Finally the music began once again and the crowd's attention was drawn away from the couple. I stood, ignoring Tom a little longer before I realized Slughorn had rejoined us and was talking to Tom. "It's always good to have good connections you know. Philip Rosier was the first wizard to actually -"

_*"Blah, blah, blah."*_

I zoned out once again; watching the couples swirling around the dance floor. I felt a gentle tap on my arm. I turned to meet Tom's very intense, yet hypnotizing gaze. "Hm?" I asked a little surprised.

"Would you care to dance?" He gestured towards the dance floor.

My mouth almost fell to the floor. Luckily I remembered Slughorn's presence before I even opened it.

_*"Drat him!"* _I couldn't say no to him in front of Slughorn, who was smiling rather stupidly at us I might add. _*"Drat him!"*_

I looked nervously over at my uncle. He appeared to be busily talking to the Minister – quite preoccupied. Tom seemed to notice my uneasy glance. "Oh, um, sure. I mean, ok. Yes." He offered me his arm, which I reluctantly took and he lead me onto the floor.

Tom was a good dancer, I'll give him that. But I wasn't doing so bad myself. The music was beautiful. It was always the only part of the evening that I enjoyed. Even when I had no one to talk to or nothing to do, I could listen to the full orchestra playing their splendid arrangements. It always made me smile how they would play classical muggle music. The Purebloods never even noticed, they simply assumed that it was their kind of music since it wasn't that "filth" that the muggles listened to; jazz and swing. I suppose when you close yourself off from the rest of the world, you believe whatever you want to; and they wanted to believe that the music belonged to them.

Mozart – I had always preferred Beethoven. But Piano Concerto No. 21 was a very good piece to dance to. With a gentle but elegant melody, it was easily followed by even the most inept of dancers. Even John and his new girlfriend seemed at ease amongst the other dancers on the floor.

"I thought you weren't allowed to dance." My heart nearly stopped. How could he bring that up? Although I was hurt by his acknowledgement of my restrictions I remained unmoved.

"I do not have the privilege of dancing with Purebloods; I might contaminate them -" Tom was not upset with this statement. He just looked at me, mildly amused at my false resoluteness.

When the song was over, we returned to the crowded, non-dance floor. After another moment of silence, Tom was being called. We looked over to see Slughorn and my uncle. "Excuse me." Tom sort of bowed to me then headed towards the two men. I watched as the three of them spoke in earnest about some unknown topic. No doubt Slughorn had convinced my uncle that Tom was brilliant and that Uncle should offer him a job.

I spent the rest of that very long evening alone. Once I saw Dolohov and Lestrange, who when they noticed me, winked then, seeming to remember something, quickly looked away from me without any further harassment.

* * *

Oh I was glad to get home I will tell you. I was physically and mentally exhausted. When I got into my room, I removed the prison that was by dress, lazily changed into my nightgown and fell straight asleep.

I woke up very late the next day. Mary had gone out to meet Cecil, but John was still in bed; no doubt exhausted from his first date. I wouldn't have bothered to get up either but I was far too hungry to allow myself to go any longer without food. As I neared the kitchen, I heard my aunt and uncle. They were speaking in abnormally low tones. The urge to listen at the door was rather strong, but I overcame it, remembering the last time I had done this. Instead I opened the door and walked in, pretending to be surprised when I saw them.

"Oh, sorry." I said in a phony voice of concern.

My aunt looked shocked – as though she had been caught doing something wrong and answered in an equally phony voice. "Oh, no trouble at all dear." She stood up and dished out some breakfast for me. "Here you are. Did you sleep well? " I eyed her suspiciously; and then my uncle, who was remaining quiet.

"Um, yes. Very well. "

I took my eggs and bacon into the hall and stood a moment in thought. What in the world could they have been talking about to make them react to me in such a peculiar way?


	7. Dear Violet

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness…**

Chapter Seven; Dear Violet

_Violet deals with some unexpected, and often unwelcome, surprises. Her suspicion of her aunt and uncle is growing, but she cannot place their motivation from which it stems... She has a lot of time to mull over some of her more unpleasant feelings._

* * *

Christmas was surprisingly enjoyable. I even got a gift from my aunt and uncle. This actually worried me. I was shocked when the gift was handed to me. The strangeness didn't end there either. The gift itself was exceptionally confusing to me. It was an outfit. A very, _very_, nice outfit. I could not think of anywhere I could possibly wear it. The ensemble consisted of a pair of reptile skinned pumps, new tan stockings and a mid calf length dress. Aside from the dresses I wore to specific events it was the nicest thing I had ever seen. I also never got to _keep_ any of the other dresses as it would be an abomination to wear something out more than once. So, it was officially the nicest piece of clothing I owned. To top it all off, there was a pearl necklace in a black velvet box included in the gift. I was utterly speechless. Why on earth was this given to me? And why now? I looked at my aunt and uncle.

"Lovely, isn't it?" My aunt offered. I stared.

"Better leave it here though; don't want anything to happen to it at Hogwarts."

Mary bought me a pair of gloves and John got me a book about Salizar Slytherin. What made the whole thing so nice was the fact that I was basically left alone, without any of the normally never-ending ridicule I normally received.

The day after Christmas was even more pleasant, as John, Mary, and my aunt and uncle went out for the day. On top of this, I finally received letters from Emily and Laura. Emily's letter came first. I spotted her tan coloured owl hobbling along the snowy path towards the house around nine in the morning. I ran out in my nightgown to fetch the letter. I decided to bring the poor old bird in to warm up before letting him go home again. Eagerly I read Emily's letter.

"_Dear Violet,_

_My Christmas has been so excellent! I so much prefer being at home to being at school. The entire family has been staying in our tiny house. I have been sharing my bedroom with my five cousins. You remember me telling you about the quintuplets? Well, Nancy has finally gotten over her stutter, Nina thinks she wants to be a quidditch star, Norah has resolved to never eat food prepared with magic, Nelly has recently discovered Swing music, and Norma has taken up opera singing, of all things! As you can likely imagine, it has not been a very quiet and relaxing holiday. _

_Yesterday I got a brand new sweater from Mum. It is absolutely lovely, with a large E knitted on the front of it. I do hope you had a pleasant day. I noticed no one was there to pick you up from the train station when we got off. You know we would always be happy to give you a ride home. It must be a nightmare getting home on your own._

_A few evenings ago we all went out to play a game of quidditch. Septimus missed an easy shot and the ball landed on one of the garden gnomes. He went absolutely bonkers! I have never seen a gnome behave as he did! He took the ball and ran off with it into the cellar. It was two days before we found the ball. The gnome had found something sharp and ripped the leather ball into shreds. Last night we found the little blighter and decided to teach him a lesson. We held a rather short match again using his lumpy little self as the ball. You may think us cruel, but we tried to tell him we hadn't thrown the ball at him. It was an accident. I tell you, you try to reason with those little fellows; and nothing! So, one must set a precedent! No gnome on our property will get away with obstructive behaviour! _

_Did you go to the Minister's Ball this year? Dad told me that one of the inspectors who came into the shop said that the Minister had announced his nephew's engagement to Mary. What a lucky girl! He is ever so handsome! I also heard that Tom Riddle was there. Did you see him? That's awfully funny isn't it? Anyone who is anyone goes to such events. It just goes to show you, as long as you are a Slytherin, you're an anyone! No offence to you Vi!_

_I simply cannot wait to see you again! I hope you are not suffering too horribly there! Please write to me whenever you feel! _

_Love Emily_

_Ps. Mum has made a scarf and put together some sweets for you. I will give them to you on the train back to Hogwarts."_

I smiled. Emily could not possibly know how much pleasure such letters gave me. I would much rather read her letters than write my own to her. I had little to say of interest and even just as little not of interest. But I would still respond. Anyone else would think of my letters as snippy, rude even. They were short and held little conversation. But, both Emily and Laura understood. I could not possibly display my feelings on paper. Proof of my situation was the last thing I wanted.

Laura's letter arrived later in the day. An elegant black owl I had never seen before swooped down to the window. It took off again immediately after I removed the paper from his beak. I sat down to read yet another letter.

"_My Dearest Violet,_

_I must begin by informing you that I may not be the same person who left you at the train station. I have been drinking so very much hot chocolate that I just might turn sweet and brown. But of course I am already sweet (haha). But really, Switzerland has been superb! The chalet we are staying at is stunning! Yesterday we all got together in one of the larger lounge rooms and opened our gifts. I got the Billie Holiday record I have been dying to get a hold of for months now!_

_Dear Violet, I know I have said it before, but I do believe I am in love. My cousin, Gregory, brought his good friend with for the holidays and he is simply the most handsome, gentlemanly, young man I have ever had the pleasure of acquainting myself with! His name is Albert, and I know that once we have left we will see more of each other. _

_One night last week we all went out for dinner to this lovely little banquet hall near the bottom of the mountains, and you will never guess who we ran into! The Prime Minister of Britain himself! He and his wife joined us for dinner! It was marvelous. He even complimented me on my cleverness. Apparently he is familiar with my Mother and Father. He told me to be sure to contribute to the medical profession as they do! I have never been so proud. _

_I do hope your aunt and uncle have not been too unbearable this year. Georgia Potter wrote to me a few nights ago and told me that her mother went to the Minister's Ball as a guest of the Minister of Magic himself because she had helped him with that last outbreak of Vanishing Sickness. Apparently she said that your uncle was really making his way around the room, but he snubbed her. She said that it was typical of someone like him. I didn't ask her what she meant by that. Do tell me about your dress though. Were you able to get a stunning one? All of my dresses now seem so bland. I wish I could have one like the lace one Rita Hayworth wore in You Were Never Lovelier. You know that one, where she falls in love with Fred Astaire's character but her father doesn't approve. It was so romantic. I just know any man would fall in love with me in a dress like that._

_I do wish that you would confide in me what it is that has been bothering you recently. You know you can tell me anything. All I wish to do is help you (if it is help which you require). I am always here for someone to talk to._

_With love,_

_Laura"_

Laura's letter made me feel slightly anxious. I knew she wouldn't forget about my strange behavior at school, but I had hoped that she would remain silently curious. I did not want to withhold the truth from my dearest friends - Sorry, my _only _friends, but I could not see how my telling them my every problem would solve anything. They were aware of my condition at home, but they were certainly not privy to my past living conditions. I never went into the deepest and darkest fears and insecurities of my mind. Those feelings were kept to myself.

* * *

Aunt Maria had become a little more distracted than normal. Granted she had always seemed in my mind to be, shall we say, a bit of a flake. While at home I have always attempted to spend as much time in my room or outdoors as possible, as to not have to see, hear, or be harassed by my aunt and uncle, but when I did see her, she was idly gazing around with a simple smile on her face; content to have nothing to do. Now, she didn't seem like she was simply somewhere else, she appeared worried. She had recently acquired a frown line in the middle of her brow. She looked distracted and thoughtful. What she could possibly have to worry about I could not even begin to fathom.

When I finally decided that starving myself instead of being around my family was not what was best for me. I crept down the stairs towards the kitchen. As I glided soundlessly past the sitting room I could hear my uncle's conversation. Ivan and Madge Selwyn. I shuddered. The Selwyns were two of the oldest living purebloods around. They were every pureblood family magnified by 1,000. It was their belief, apparently, that their age on top of their blood status gave them carte blanche to be ill mannered. They were condescending and boorish and rude, and I hated them…..and apparently they were going to join us for dinner the following day…

* * *

My outfit for the evening would have to be preapproved for a dinner with Lord and Lady Selwyn. I had to change my skirt and blouse four times and my shoes twice before I was acceptable. To be fair, the Selwyns had done little to offend me personally. They were as I mentioned, very old, and tended to keep out of things such as politics and other modern goings on. Having seen enough of them, I was fairly certain that the reason for this was their own self-importance. Other things were simply not valuable enough for them to be bothered with. They were horrible gossips though…..The only offence I had committed against them was being a half-blood. So, this was the only thing they could badger me about. Or so I thought.

They arrived twenty minutes late. Apparently being rude is fashionable. They were dressed as though they had just come from an opera, but the fact was that this was always the way they conducted themselves. They were greeted warmly and in return they complained about the awful smell of the sea on the wind. Their warm robes were taken by John to hang up and they were ushered into the sitting room. We all sat, after they had seated themselves. Madge Selwyn's eyes landed on me first.

"I see she has gained weight," She nodded towards me, looking to my Aunt.

_*"…..Why you-!"*_

The wrinkled old hag had some nerve! I made no retort but remained silent. Ivan Selwyn began speaking to my uncle about the weather and how when he was young and there we fewer muggles in the area the winters were always so much more pleasant. Madge commented on the excellent choice of art in the hallway (large portraits of pompous looking wizards; none of whom were we acquainted with or related to).

Finally dinner time rolled around and we adjourned to the dining room. The food was awaiting us, having been prepared by our house elf. The meal itself looked excellent as always. The company on the other hand left quite a great deal to be desired. It was as we sat down that the conversation took, what I considered, an unexpectedly awkward turn.

"It is excellent to have a daughter married off," Madge said to my aunt. "and into such an outstanding family."

"I suppose James has his eye on some young lady as well?" Ivan stated.

"John-" My younger cousin corrected. Not that Ivan Selwyn really cared what his name was.

My Uncle started to answer when both Mr. and Mrs. Selwyn's eyes turned to me. "And what is _Miss_ Davis' plan?"

I stared at them. Wow. I couldn't see what business it was of theirs. Sure, many students were engaged before leaving Hogwarts, but they could hardly expect that I should be. So why ask?

_*"Oh yes, They are spiteful wizard fanatics. I had forgotten."*_

This time they actually waited for an answer.

My aunt looked to my uncle, clearly wanting him to take the field.

"She has had some offers," my uncle blatantly lied. "but of course they were from less than appropriate suitors." They nodded, understanding that it was unlikely that anyone "appropriate" should have an interest in me. "I have no doubt that once she has gained some sort of name for herself and taken better care of her looks, that she will get some attention." He caught my aunt's eye. "She does have a slight social disadvantage to John and Mary. She is busy with her studies while they climb the very social ladder." He smiled, "However her progress at Hogwarts is strong, despite all of her disadvantages." He glanced at my aunt again. "and indeed I believe that once she has attained more of our values, that some young wizard will be keen to take her-"

_*"What an exceptionally kind thing to say…somewhat…"*_

"Even with her lack of character, skills, and proper wizarding morals".

_*"There we go. That's more like it."*_

Anyone who has had to deal with being verbally torn down for any significant amount of time will tell you that after a while you try to treat it as nonchalantly as possible. But it always hurts. And today, more than usual, I was thinking about it. I was not lacking in character. People who didn't know me found my company pleasant enough. I had skills. Whether they be useful or not I was capable of being proficient at some things. And as far as wizarding morals are concerned, morals are morals, and morals I had.

I thought about the nonexistent offers my uncle had spoken of. I wondered who might have wanted to marry me, had things been different. I thought of Deimos Lestrange; his tall, muscular body; his deep accented voice; his quiet, gentle stare… Lestrange had been my crush since I had begun Hogwarts. As an eleven year old, I had very stubbornly not given in to feeling anything for Riddle- or at least that is what I told myself. He was too perfect, and everyone liked him. So I had liked Lestrange. He had obvious flaws and eccentricities which I had enjoyed thinking about. Now, I felt differently. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything for anyone. Sometimes it is hard to fanaticize when you know all too well that your dreams cannot be a reality. I thought about Bruce Raines, whom I had only spoken to for the first time this year. He was a muggleborn. That was a pro and a con. Pro; he would most likely accept my half-bloodedness. Con; he was still a bit too low on the food chain for my uncle. And either way, the man got around. My chances with the school's resident male tart were one thousand to one; approximately. Then, for some reason I thought of Rosier. Auguste Rosier was the only Slytherin male who seemed to enjoy my company. He didn't seem as lucky in the lady department as Bruce, but this was probably because Bruce was charming and Rosier was a pig. Even in spite of his behavior towards me, I doubted that Rosier would choose me as a mate…or any one person for that matter. He was too energetic. And I wouldn't want him anyway! So, there was no one. I slumped my shoulders and poked my potatoes glumly.

We moved back into the sitting room after dinner. Before I could sit down my uncle stopped me. "Violet, dear, I do believe you were meant to finish some letters tonight." He looked into my eyes, conveying quite clearly what he really meant, "_You have been here long enough, get out_". I obliged.

I did wait outside the door however. A little ways down the hallway, I could still hear what was being said.

"I always said it! So good of you to take her in!"

"And to keep her!"

"Hm, I can imagine what a great strain it must have been. To have such a weight on your shoulders."

"Yes, well, Maria did feel that is was for the best. Her sister's only child after all. One cannot simply overlook such a noble bloodline, even if it has been tainted."

Sounds of agreement.

"Still, it is such a shame…"

"Quite, you will have quite a task getting someone to take _her_ off of your hands."

Someone stood and began walking. I thought they were going to step out into the hallway so I went around the corner into the stairwell. I could still hear bits and pieces, but unfortunately not enough to make sense of anything.

"Hopefully….."

"We're working on…."

I had had enough any way. Quite a task indeed.

I came down from my room much later. I had grown restless and needed to move around. To my surprise my aunt and uncle were still up. I heard their hushed voices in the dining room. "It is true. It is a shame, a damn shame that all that is wasted on her!" My aunt did not speak, as usual. "Wasted on someone like her." I really did not care about what was being said. I had had enough of hearing what a worthless article I was for a lifetime. I continued to the front parlor, where I sat to look out at the gently falling snow. I had realized some time ago that my uncle was of the impression that I was not interested in my books. He thought that I was being a spiteful mudblood; wasting all of that information, while anyone else would take that information and use it to become the most powerful witch alive. True, I was unlikely to become anything close to even a moderately powerful witch, but I was not being a spiteful mudblood. I had read the books, and I was studying them. But knowing what was in the books gave me a different perspective. I may have been born with a muggle father, but I had these books. They were mine, and mine for a reason. It was up to me to take from them, and show that I was _someone_.

* * *

Christmas break was almost over, and I had not yet been to visit my good friend, Matilda. I normally visited her quite often and could imagine that she must have been worried. She had grown over the years that I had been in Dorset, into an almost grandmotherly figure. This was something I had certainly never had before.

I trudged through the snow towards my destination, the blisteringly cold sea air whipping against my face. It is always windier near water, and this was something I quite enjoyed in the warmer months. The frigid winter wind, sweeping over the caps on the water and seemingly straight into my face was not pleasant.

Eventually I saw smoke rising from a chimney, and then the rest of the small cottage. I knocked on the door several times before it opened and Matilda's surprised face greeted me. She smiled widely. "Violet!" She opened her arms to me, "I was beginning to think you had finally gotten tired of visiting me!"

I smiled and hugged her, adjusting to the new warm air of the house. "I will never get tired of this," I said.

We sat and talked for the rest of the day. Visiting Matilda really brought out what I believed to be the Slytherin in me. I lied to her more than I lied to anyone. It had become natural. She was a muggle, so I could hardly share that part of my life with her truthfully. This one withheld truth seemed to affect all other areas of my life as well. My background; where I had come from and why I couldn't stay there, my life at home; and why it was so very miserable, and my life at school; what I did there and how I got along with other students and with my schoolwork. It is astounding how one little lie affects so many others. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to sit down one day and tell her everything, and have her pat my back and tell me to cheer up. But I couldn't. I couldn't tell her I was a witch. The closest person in my life, and all I could do was lie to them. It broke my heart. In any case, the general happiness which I received from these frequent visits was enough. I always left feeling a little better about myself. I walked a little taller, stood a little straighter and spoke with a little more vigor. And then I would get home.

* * *

I had mixed feelings, as I always did, about going back to Hogwarts. I never liked being there, aside from Emily and Laura's company, and I never liked being at home, aside from the time that I was able to spend on my own or in Matilda's company. This time however, my aunt and uncle joined me. They saw me off to the train. The entire Christmas break had been one unexpected surprise after another, why should its end have been any different?

They both smiled and waved as I boarded the Hogwarts express. I waved, sort of, confused and very much suspicious. I saw them chatting to some other parents as the stood on the platform. I felt an odd sort of foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach as I saw one couple after another greet them warmly.

I couldn't find Emily or Laura when I got on the train. Looking in each compartment as I went, I saw everyone who had gone home for the holiday; their cheeks a little rosier. I passed Gryffindors, who glared at me as I passed. I saw Hufflepuffs, who wearily watched my every move. I passed Ravenclaws, who stared me down as I continued on my way. I passed Slytherins, who looked at me and then away, as though I was nothing more than an irksome pest. There were apparently no empty compartments, for when I came to the very last door on the train I saw several boys occupying it. I was about to turn back around and do another assessment of the compartments but stopped when I recognized one of the occupant's faces. It was Bruce Raines. My Tansfiguration partner. He had a friend on either side of him. They were looking at some sort of magazine intently. I looked closer. It was a dirty magazine. I rolled my eyes and pushed the door open. They looked up so fast, and hid the magazine so quickly they nearly fell off their seat. Bruce's eyes widened.

"Erm, hi" I said sounding awkward in spite of myself. "Everywhere else is occupied, mind if I sit here?"

"Hi Davis! Of course you can sit here." Bruce smiled genially. I seated myself opposite them. They sat, silently, as though they could not think of a thing in the world to do or say.

I looked at them and smiled, "Oh, don't mind me. Go back to whatever you were doing. It looked like you were reading something very… enthralling, before I came in." They smiled awkwardly.

Bruce scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed. Only slightly though. Being caught looking at "girly magazines" was apparently not new to him. "Oh, it wasn't _so_ interesting". He grinned toothily at me.

The train started moving, and I gazed out the window in silence as the males across from me conversed together. But a few minutes into the ride I felt the seat next to me move. Bruce had vacated his seat between his still talking friends and had seated himself next to me. He smiled pleasantly. "Did you have a good holiday, Davis?"

I studied his face a moment, "I suppose it was as pleasant as any other holiday I have experienced" This was nearly true, leaving a great deal out of course.

_*"Isn't mystery supposed to be an attractive quality?"*_

"Wonderful to hear," He beamed. "My own was the same. Aside from not having any Transfiguration homework, that is. _That_ is heaven!"

I smiled, "I didn't know you did the homework anyway".

"No, well I suppose not. But it's good to know that you're not doing something you don't have to do that you need done, you understand."

I actually laughed. Bruce seemed to be the best at distracting me from my worries. He had such a warm smile, bright eyes and a jovial disposition. I had made a mental note to consider him at a later time a while back. I had never really given males as a group a great deal of thought. Sure, I had opinions and the normal amount of interest in them, but having not received a whole lot of attention from them myself I tried to give them as little as possible in return. Knowing me, this was probably out of spite. If they wanted nothing to do with me then I would not give them the satisfaction of being in my thoughts. Bruce was obviously harder to convince than others.

The door opened, and Emily stood, smiling in its frame. "I'm sorry, but I must steal Violet away".

I looked at Bruce and he grinned at me, "Nice talking to you, as always" he said. I returned the smile and nodded to his friends before leaving with Emily.

"Hey, what was that all about? You, sitting with Bruce on the train instead of your best friends! What is this?" She was joking.

"I didn't see you in any of the compartments when I got on," I replied. "Hello to you too, by the way".

"Hi. Anyway, I didn't know you knew Raines!" I rolled my eyes. "Do you fancy him?" I glared at her but did not respond as we came to the compartment she and Emily had seated themselves in. Georgia Potter and another girl whose name I thought was Prewett, were also in the compartment.

"There she is," cried Laura, "Where were you?"

"She was sitting with Raines-" Emily said mysteriously.

"Raines?" piped Potter. Her brow furrowed. "Why would Raines sit with you?"

"Oh shut up," Emily snapped. She grabbed my arm and seated me between her and Laura.

I smiled as I felt a twinge of happiness spread through me as my friends, one on either side of me, began to talk. Emily gave me the sweets and scarf from her mother; green with a 'V', and Laura began sharing photos of her new love; Albert. I looked at the pictures of the handsome young muggle in the photographs, and at the apparent 'love letter' he had sent Laura two days before the end of Christmas break. I glanced over the neatly scrolled words. I observed the definite affection in his words. One didn't even have to read the letter to see this. I almost jealously gazed at the note.

'_Dear Laura'. _In my mind I began a new fantasy. My own letter from some young man. And it would begin with _'Dear Violet'._

* * *

**A/N:** Well, its been quite a while since my last update hasn't it? I am sorry. I had not intended to leave you hanging for so very long. I have been moving around so much and doing different things that I simply haven't had the time to write. I also apologize for there not being any Tom in this chapter. He will be in the next, I promise!

A note to all reviewers: To those of you who have left your comments and/or private messaged me, I am so grateful for your greetings and support. I have been overwhelmed by the messages I have received and can honestly say that your lovely compliments have really inspired me to continue with this story.

I am again, sorry for the possible lack of action in this chapter. I need to find my fingers again :)

As a little gift to you, I have created a few short bios for some of the characters. They are in my 'blog' on the HarryPotterFanFiction forums. I am not a fan of that site but I wanted to post them somewhere so...

The link is posted on my profile.

xoxo


	8. Caught

**Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness…**

Chapter Eight; Caught

_The world certainly seems to be upended. People who are supposed to hate her seem enraptured by Violet, and people who are supposed to be her friends are nowhere to be seen. Violet has a sneaking suspicion that there is a conspiracy afoot._

* * *

I found it difficult to concentrate on anything once back at Hogwarts. My mind was constantly occupied with so many musings and doubts. Everything seemed so backwards. As if my aunt and uncle's behaviour had not been enough, I immediately noticed a difference in disposition amongst a great number of Slytherins. Stepping into the Slytherin common room, I was greeted by a cordial Avery. He apparently hoped that my holiday had been enjoyable and that I was glad to be back at Hogwarts. I almost believed him. Sometime later, Mulciber smiled jovially at me in the corridor and told me to hurry to the Great Hall before all the food was gone. Dolohov nodded and grunted at me in the library, Addie Parkinson apologized when she ran into me in the corridor, and Daisy Greengrass (rather reluctantly) gave me the last unbroken tea cup in Charms. While waiting in the corridor for potions to start, a Gryffindor fell rather awkwardly and began to produce some sort of grotesque lesion on his forehead. Malfoy appeared at my side and began to keel over laughing, straightening up only to jab me in the ribs with his elbow and point before keeling over again; repeating the action several times before Professor Slughorn showed up. It was all very odd indeed.

It was in Divination that I got the greatest surprise. Considering all things, it was perhaps not the most out of the ordinary action, even for me. I sat at one of the little tables in the heavily perfumed room and watched as Riddle and Avery sat together, and Nott and Mulciber sat together. Then, I saw Olga Mcnair sit with Ravenclaw Jane Scully, instead of me. Then the unthinkable happened. Lestrange walked in, glanced around tiredly, and began walking towards me. There were still several suitable places for him to sit, but he was coming towards me. I had never gone out of my way to gain Lestrange's attention, but like so many young girls with a crush, there had always been a hope in my mind; whenever he entered a room, that he would choose to sit with me. It had never happened. As he strode closer, obviously toward me, nobody lifted their gaze accusingly, nobody elbowed their neighbor to whisper disillusionment. Apparently I was the only one who thought any of this was out of the ordinary.

He stopped in front of me and tilted his head. Smiling slightly he asked, "You saving this seat for anyone, Violet?"

My heart stopped. It just stopped. There was no fluttering, no gasping for air. With what little life remained in my body I shook my head and he sat down. I watched him. His legs were significantly too long for the chair. He leant over, setting his books on the small table. As I continued to watch him, I realized for the first time; Lestrange looked bad. Not naughty- I mean he looked like he was a force to be reckoned with. His dark hair, dark eyes, dark brow, angular features, and strong frame, all added to the never-ending list of what made Deimos Lestrange attractive and frightening. I frowned as I thought of this. Clearly my judgment was poor. Regardless, I began to daydream about how Lestrange had been the first boy in our year to manage facial hair. It had been glorious…

I was seeing green everywhere. Slytherins in my year seemed to be everywhere I went, greeting me as though I were one of them. Laura and Emily were a different story. They seemed to be busier than normal. Both always had somewhere to go, someone to see. I hoped it had nothing to do with my newfound apparent Slytherin acceptance.

Day after day I went to class, did as much of my homework as I could bring myself to do, ate, and slept. I began to realize how monotonous a life without daily struggles could be. This was not the reason I couldn't enjoy it though. The problem was, I knew there would have to be more to the situation, and would therefore not last forever. It wasn't the calm before the storm, it _was_ the storm, I just couldn't see it yet.

* * *

I was always happy to go to Transfiguration. Bruce was a real cad but he was pleasant enough to chat with. Most importantly, he made me feel good. I felt important and attractive when he spoke to me. I also liked just looking at him. Granted, if he were to be scientifically analyzed he would not be as handsome as Riddle or Lestrange, but he had a twinkle in his eye and a playful expression _on top_ of boyish good looks. There isn't a Slytherin alive with those attributes.

One negative I found, aside from the obvious, was that once I was no longer in his company, I would _think_ a lot. I would think about what he had said, why he had said it, what he might have refrained from saying, what I said, what I meant to say, what I should have said, what I shouldn't have said. It was all very tiring. And then I would compare him. I would compare him to his redheaded friend who sat behind us, to Emily's brothers, to Tom Riddle, to the other Slytherin boys. I even once was reminded of Professor Dumbledore when a particularly feisty paper bird was flying around his head. He had chuckled and smiled until it began attacking his nose. His brow knitted together and he frowned, but his eyes still twinkled.

I did find him easy to talk to, in most respects. I was not so well versed in flirtatiousness though and often found it hard to react properly to the Hufflepuff charmer. Every once-in-a-while I would look at him while he was speaking to me, and I would wonder why; why was he speaking to me? His attention was not the same as Tom's had been. And I would look at his jovial face and think, "He must have run out of females to pursue, so he has taken to me".

Back in my room, I looked at my reflection in the large mirror behind the door, taking a moment to be vain; to appraise my appearance. My hair, my face, my figure, my general features. I didn't loathe them. But I didn't particularly feel love for them either. All things considering, it could be worse. I could have been as ugly as Isabella Bulstrode was on the inside. I snorted.

_*"Yeah, I am sure it is what I am on the inside that makes Bruce Raines talk to me."*_

Yet, everyone had something to set them apart. Emily's bright red hair and jovial smile, Laura's thin frame and innocent brown eyes, Isabella's attitude and dark red lips, Daisy's empty platinum blonde head, Mimi's height (or lack thereof), Addie's elf-like features and bright blue eyes, Eileen's dark blonde locks and gentle smile, Cedrella's black hair and grey eyes….What did I have? I was somewhere in the middle of everything, with nothing to set me apart, other than my own mediocrity.

This had likely been the reason no one had paid any heed to me until this point in my life. Very little of my appearance had changed over the years. The only males aside from Bruce (and Rosier, but I wouldn't count him) who had ever paid me any mind only did so because they had to; generally because they were family. In my early days there had been my cousin, James. Later on my other cousin, John. Then of course my aunt's wonderful new husband. Here ends the list.

_*"Bah! What does it matter anyway?"* _

Tugging at my short-ish curls, I examined my teeth in the mirror. I would just have to resolve to become a librarian; with a tight bun and no sense of humour. Better not to try to meddle with affairs of the heart- or whatever it is that drives men to feel… Better not to bother with those pesky males. The trouble is that they do rather tend to insist on being a bother.

* * *

The second Friday back at Hogwarts I decided that it was time to find Emily and Laura and ask them what was up. Surely there was an innocent explanation for their absence. Walking down one of the inner corridors of the castle, near-ish I thought to the Gryffindor portrait, I came upon a familiar sight; a group of Slytherin males. I stopped, eyeing them as they turned to see who was approaching.

Malfoy grinned as he saw me, "Hey Davis, come n' look at this".

I stood rooted to the spot, still not convinced that I wasn't in danger. Mulciber motioned with his head for me to come closer. I edged nearer, as a mutineer might edge nearer to edge of the plank on a pirate ship. Finally coming into proximity with what they were looking at. It was an advanced spellbook from the restricted section of the library. The most mundane of things. Here they stood as three normal young men before me. No malice or dislike seemed present.

I looked up at Lestrange, who noticed my questioning glance and smiled. "Shouldn't be bothering her with this stuff. Not interested in schoolwork, are you?" He elbowed me softly.

"Ha! No, that's true!" Mulciber laughed, "Not exactly a scholar, are ye Vi?"

"Ladies don't need to be," Lestrange interjected, "They just need to be delicate and beautiful." He smiled down at me, black eyes glistening, "Two for two," he winked. For the second time in as many weeks, I lost another life. Deimos Lestrange had just said that I was delicate and beautiful. After the initial shock of this I was again amazed by the sounds of agreement by the other Slytherins.

I watched them as they began a discussion about some other Slytherin females who were apparently just not at all up to standard. They looked so normal. They could have been any arrogant cluster of males. My mind began to drift off as I gazed over Malfoy's shoulder. Eventually something out of place caught my eye. One of the large statues a short way down the corridor seemed to have a puddle of red lined robe at its base. Looking back at the faces of the three men around me, I made a sort of gentle coughing noise. They looked at me.

"Sorry, erm, have to find someone about a telescope". All three smiled and politely bade me farewell.

I went around the block instead of walking towards the statue. And when I peered around the corner I was surprised to see Emily and Laura crouched behind the stone lion.

"Well well," I said quietly, remaining hidden around the corner.

I heard them stumble over each other trying to turn around. I crossed my arms and waited for them to appear in front of me. When they were both in view, I looked at them reproachfully. They had hardly even seen me since the train ride back to Hogwarts and here they appeared to have been spending all of their time spying on me.

"So… What gives?"

Laura looked guilty but Emily, much to my chagrin, looked defiant. "We could ask you the same thing". Neither friend seemed terribly upset, but they did appear annoyed.

"Something on your mind, Emily?" I remained unmoved. The behavior of my fellow Slytherins had been strange, but this was beyond anything I could imagine.

Laura took the field, "You have been acting strange, Vi." Emily nodded encouragingly. "You have been hiding things from us. You have been scared then happy then scared again and you don't seem to want to share with us. We wanted to know why."

Emily started, being typically blunt, "What has been going on with you and Riddle? Why are the Slytherins all chummy with you now? And why do you always have that far off look in your eyes?" She looked at me accusingly, "You're not in love, I know that much. So what is it?" She was not requesting an answer, she was demanding it.

I said nothing for a moment. Thinking about the situation, I wondered what exactly they thought that they would achieve by spying on me. "What do you think?" I asked.

Emily grunted, "What?"

"What do _you_ think is going on? I am rather interested to hear another party's analysis."

They grimaced and looked at each other. "We think you have decided to be like them."

"Oh, I _see_. Because I was acting differently before? Because with the flick of a switch I can morph myself into one of them? Perhaps you have been somewhere else for the past five and a half years but I'm just a mudblood to them. Not really something I can change." I was irritated. "Believe me when I say this; there is nothing, _nothing_ I could do, no way I could behave, that could make them act the way they are now." I lowered my voice, "To answer your other points, I have been keeping things from you that I thought I could deal with on my own. I kept things from you because I was embarrassed. I was scared because something frightened me, happy because something cheered me and scared again because I was afraid." I turned away from them. "As for Riddle and I; he scared me. As for everyone else; I have no doubt he has scared them too, though why I have no idea. And as for the look in my eye," It was my turn to look accusing, "perhaps if you constantly had to wonder about why people do what they do around you, you might have a far off look in your eyes as well."

They did not appear as moved as I had hoped. This lead me to a remembrance; How the three of us had become friends. And it occurred to me, they were my best friends, but perhaps I was not theirs.

* * *

One crisp winter afternoon, I journeyed to the library to do some extra reading. Despite what Lestrange seemed to believe, I couldn't help but feel inferior to people with a brain in their head.

I strolled around, glancing at the spines of books. Such a lovely smell in the library. Due to my lack of interest in gaining knowledge, I generally found it difficult to locate knowledge-based books to entertain me. Halfheartedly I tried to tidy some precariously placed books. They all tumbled to the floor with a loud thud.

"Knickers!" I pronounced loudly.

"SHHHHHHH!" hissed Madam Lezer from somewhere across the library, behind the shelves.

I kneeled, picking up the heavy texts. As I crouched a second time, I saw two feet come around the shelf and stop in front of me. Before looking up, I thought; Men's shoes, Smallish. The step had been quick, too fast for Riddle's steady stride. Looking up I frowned. Rosier leaned against the shelf as I looked at him, and he leered down at me.

"Yes?" I inquired.

The fact that I was "scum" never mattered to Rosier. I had the right parts, so it didn't faze him. If you were to skim over this fact, he might almost come out looking good - An unbigoted individual. But, upon closer inspection, one would find that he was indeed still just a slithering pureblood fanatic, albeit a horny one.

He didn't answer right away. First he leaned back, I assumed to survey the rest of the visible library. There wasn't a ruddy lot of "shhh"-ing going on so Madam Lezer must have left. Looking back at me, he smiled and bent down to lift the books in my hands, returning them to their proper places.

I stood stiffly, looking him in the eye. He looked past me for a moment then nodded, "Lovely day".

I looked around and out the window for the briefest of seconds before returning my gaze to him, "I suppose".

"It's supposed to be nice all week. I' sure the Quidditch team will be glad of it for their practice." He smiled gently, leaning against the bookshelf.

I continued to eye him suspiciously. "I would imagine so."

"Though it would likely do them some good to be out in tougher conditions."

"Hmm." I looked past him, wondering if I could slip by without him stopping or following me.

"It must be very difficult."

I looked back at his face. "What must?"

"All the attention." He tilted his head to appraise me.

_*"Ehh."*_

"You aren't used to it."

I frowned. "What are you going on about, Rosier?"

"Your new best friends. Finally Violet is a Slytherin." He grinned and reached one hand out. I watched as his left hand started to stroke my arm. "I was always your friend though, wasn't I?"

"Er… I don't think that's what I would call it."

"I would. I would also say that I have been one of the lucky few to be graced with your company, these many years."

_*"Where has this guy been?"*_

I smiled derisively. "Indeed."

Grabbing my arms, he moved closer to me. Squirming was an easier thing to do with Rosier, him not being as muscularly endowed as many of the others, but I was still cornered.

"Violet," his right arm slid around my back. "Violet, you have such a lovely smile. Why don't you smile more often?"

If it had been a fair fight I might have gotten away, but he had the wall on his side.

"Maybe I would if I had more to smile about."

"I can give you something to smile about," he smirked, "or at least, something to make you gasp." His hands, while still roving, were somehow bringing me down. My legs were awkwardly being forced to the side and I was sliding towards the floor. And in the library, of all places.

Then, I did gasp, and my eyes widened as I stared past Rosier. A very stony looking Tom Riddle towered ominously at the end of the shelves. Rosier turned, following my gaze, and like a flash I was dropped to the hard floor. Rosier was as far away from me as he could get without being too close to Riddle. He was also babbling- apologizing for something. Was harassing me something to apologize for now? Yet another new thing. But the situation was still stranger than that. It seemed like it was more than Rosier being caught doing something against school rules by a Prefect.

"Return to your dormitory, Miss Davis." Riddle's voice was sickeningly smooth. I dusted myself off as I stood up and strode quickly past a shaking Rosier. Riddle was not looking at me, in fact, he had not looked at me. As I left, I could hear Rosier resuming his profuse apologies- almost begging. As I got farther away from them and closer to the door, I could have sworn I heard Riddle say, "Let's hope you don't."

The next morning Rosier approached me in the common room, apologizing for his behavior from the previous evening. He looked peaked and weary, quite the change from the day before.

* * *

Professor Merrythought was a scary little witch. She had the strangest way of being nice and being a complete tyrant at the same time that was really quite unnerving. In my first year I had nightmares about her and subsequently avoided first year Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of course this was foolish, and all it did in the end was keep me from learning anything and get sent to the headmaster's office more often than any eleven year old should endure.

Galatea Merrythought had been at Hogwarts longer than anyone cared to think about. This was the reason everyone was so shocked when she announced her retirement for the end of that year. She didn't look tired; obscenely old perhaps, but not in any way worn out. But as students we must constantly remind ourselves that teachers do have lives outside of their work, and things happen.

"-and yet there is no reason for why these omens occur. Some more prolific aurors have said that it is easy enough to spot the mark of evil by looking into the eyes. But this would leave too much room for error with regular wizards."

I looked around the classroom with disinterest.

"Though, what all can certainly agree is that dark magic always leaves traces. Some hide this better than others; some don't bother hiding it at all- some even parade it."

A Ravenclaw with excellent posture raised their hand.

"Hm?"

"Can these traces of dark magic be erased?"

"They can be destroyed and they can be controlled, they can even be hidden when in plain view."

Tom asked the next question, "What do you mean by controlled?"

"The creator of the dark magic is it's master. Evil, is in itself, its own entity. But it needs a creator, and it needs a leader. This is why many wizarding philosophers have deduced that evil would not exist if there were no wizards to create it."

* * *

Walking around that evening I found myself greeted by a few friendly faces. Much to my vexation, I was even joined briefly by Addie Parkinson. She apparently wanted to talk about boys. It was a strange seven and a half minutes.

But, as I knew, not all Slytherins were on the bandwagon. Once on my own again, and heading towards the fifth floor corridor, I was stopped by someone's voice, obviously talking about me. I didn't know the boy personally. He was a fifth year, Slytherin. With him was a small group of boys his age and a few younger girls.

"Look boys and girls! You saw it here first, a genuine Slytherin Mudblood!" I turned to face him. "Never before has such filth graced the green and silver. Look closely, you can almost see the muck seeping to the floor."

His commentary, and his friends' laughter was short-lived, I am pleased to say. My saviors were Nott and Avery.

"Funny that," said Nott, startling the fifth year he had snuck up upon. "Because I was under the impression that your grandfather was a dustman from Romford, Farley, and your grandmother was a whore in Cheapside."

"You're wrong." Avery stated firmly. He passed between the group and joined me. "That was his mother." He held his arm out to me and we began walking away.

"Ah yes, now I remember!" Nott joined Avery and I. "Not a very professional woman as I recall."

The angry spluttering barely died down as we moved farther away.

This was not the only instance of its kind. Several times I noticed students giving me a look, but seemed to change their mind about saying something to me when someone caught their eye. I would follow their gaze and without fail, would be lead to one of Tom Riddle's friends.

I saw Emily and Laura here and there. They seemed a bit put off, but were no longer ignoring me. And to the best of my knowledge they were also no longer spying on me, though they may have just learned to be more discreet.

* * *

By February, I was more worried than ever. The reason being, I was getting used to the way things were going. I had grown accustomed to my treatment by my fellow Slytherins. And when Tom Riddle asked me when we should resume our tutoring lessons, I smiled and said the same as before would do. Thinking about it, I wondered if I was being brainwashed. But do brainwashed people know that they are brainwashed? Maybe I was under some sort of hypnotism. But why?

Tom was not able to meet at the normal time that week, as he informed me at dinner the night before. He would have Prefect duties for the rest of the week but late in the afternoon would be just as good. He suggested the old Alchemy classroom. It was just used to store desks, chairs and other furniture now due to the exclusion of the subject in the curriculum.

I was a few minutes late for our meeting. Tom was not displeased, but was kind enough to lecture me on the problems which could arise from continuous tardiness.

The Pigmentum charm, is not something you practice in your favourite clothes, as we both learned. This is especially true if you have horrid aim and are incapable of producing a perfect charm. The essential purpose of the charm was to create a gentle beam of light to colour, or recolour, an object.

I aimed my wand at the large desk, focusing with all the concentration I could muster. I did hit the desk, but for some reason the charm ricocheted like a rubber ball. Covered. Tom and I were covered in multicolored paint. Tom's pin straight posture remained staring straight in front of him. I winced, waiting for my reprimand. Slowly his head turned to me, eyebrow cocked, and to my surprise, he smiled. Tom Riddle was smiling at me. In fact, he was chuckling. It was a sight I had never seen before, and it was by far the most beautiful thing I had seen in a very long time. Tom's already handsome face, smiling, with the gentle deep sound of humour filling the room, would be enough to melt anyone's heart. I smiled back at him.

"That," Tom began, "is more than enough for today."

Expertly and without deliberation, Tom returned the room to its original state. Next, he tidied himself off. Turning to me, he looked me up and down. "Perhaps you should remain as you are," I glared at him. "A testament to your skills with charms?" I continued to glare. Chuckling once again Tom pulled out his wand again. "I don't see the problem, you look like a work of Picasso."

I smiled as he waved his wand. Dinner would be starting shortly. "Maybe we will work on something a little less chaotic next time." Tom offered as he closed the classroom door. I laughed.

"I think that would be best, for everyone."

Smiling again Tom said, "Have a pleasant dinner." and went off to his Prefect meeting.

I was in exceptionally high spirits. Being at the mercy of Tom Riddle's wrath is one thing, but being the recipient of his good humour is another. I could see, in a way, why so many of the Slytherins wanted to please Tom. Sure, his displeasure was terrifying, but his approval, or at least decency, was so beautiful.

My spirits were dashed as I rounded a corner on the eighth floor. I had not seen Isabella Bulstrode for more than ten minutes since Christmas break had ended, and here she stood in front of me; apparently with the intention of meeting me here.

Leaning against the castle's stone wall, twirling her wand, she smiled menacingly. "Good lesson?"

I frowned. She looked like a madwoman, perhaps she was. I said nothing, deciding that it would be best to wait and see what she wanted.

"Lovely evening for it. But of course, any evening would be acceptable if you get to spend it with Tom Riddle."

_*"ehh..."*_ My frown deepened.

Her smile widened, eyes smoldering. "I _told_ you," she started slowly towards me, "I _warned_ you." Her wand was no longer swirling; held steady in her grasp. "Tom Riddle and I were _made_ for each other." I had already backed up as much as the corridor would allow. "I don't know _what_ you did! Or how you did it! But whatever it was, it's over. Do you understand me?" She stopped several feet in front of me.

I studied her face. In many ways, I thought it might just be best to tell her that I understood and try my best to stumble through some sort of apology. The problem was… I didn't understand her.

"No…" I ventured.

Smile gone, she continued. "I saw you leaving the Alchemy classroom, all _disheveled_. You were just "practicing" I suppose?" My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Apparently she thought this humorous. "Ahahaha, you think that I believe that filth like you would behave decently? Well, just so long as it doesn't happen again eh?"

Quickly as I could manage, I dove into my robes for my wand- casting a rather flimsy jinx at Isabella. Easily deflected, and replaced with her own in my direction. The hex threw me hard against the wall. Before I could even consider lifting my own wand, I was hit again, and again. On the floor, very much in pain but not yet to the point of no return, I tried to stand, only to once again be sent to the floor. Sprawled at her feet, I looked up at Isabella. As our eyes met, she sent another curse down upon me. This time, I was not thrown. Pain spread through my limbs. Agony surged through my head and torso. This was no hex. Visions of Tom in a dark classroom looking down on me flashed in my memory. The Cruciatus curse was not one to be endured for any amount of time, this is why so many go mad from it. If you are willing to use it on someone, you are willing to use it to its full extent. I barely noticed my own screams, and neither apparently did my torturer. Isabella was busy. My tears were covering my face already after only a few moments and my throat was cracking.

"Bulstrode!" A female figure was coming from the end of the corridor. Two other shapes turned the corner and came into view. Isabella stood unabashedly as these figures came closer. The girl came up first and did not delay kneeling down to me. "Violet?" I recognized the voice but couldn't place it.

_*"Ah, yes."*_

My roommate, Cedrella. My mind was spinning but I wanted to know who was around me. After a few moments of intense concentration I began to figure out that the other two were yelling at Isabella. Avery and Lestrange.

"Violet? Violet, if you can speak please tell me if you can move."

With some difficulty I moved my eyes so I could see Cedrella's face. That would be a "no". The yelling seemed to cease, and someone else was joining the group. Cedrella stood up. I watched her feet move away and new ones come to me. The person crouched, touching my side, my head, my arms; inspecting me. He turned my head, and Tom looked into my apparently permanent blurry eyes. He looked angry. I felt rather lucky to not be the one he would be angry with.

"Lestrange!" I saw Lestrange approach and Tom stood up. "Take her back to her dormitory."

Lestrange bent down to try to maneuver my body and limbs so I could be carried. As his arms slid under and around me I could see the group that had gathered. Cedrella stood close, watching with concern, Malfoy, who had apparently come with Tom, was standing next to Avery, wands in hand. Isabella was looking quite a great deal more apprehensive than she had when Cedrella had entered the corridor. And Tom was facing her. As Lestrange began down the corridor, Cedrella followed. I allowed my head to loll back to view the scene again. Isabella appeared to be the one against the corridor wall now, and just as we turned the corner, I saw Tom pull out his wand.

* * *

I closed my eyes as my bones rattled with every step Lestrange took. Neither he nor Cedrella spoke. I was carried up the stairs to the girl's dormitories where I was laid on my bed. Opening my eyes, I felt warm tears drip from the corners of my eyes towards my ears. I turned my head to the frowning Lestrange next to my bed. Cedrella and Eileen were apparently fussing over me, trying to make me comfortable and getting water and whatever else they thought I could need. But my brain was done for the day. As my eyes closed for the last time that night I wondered if I would be able to move in the morning.

* * *

**A/N:** Woah ho ho! Sorry for the delay. Not going to lie, I completely forgot about this for a bit. Also I apologise for any technical errors I may have missed. I'm having troubles and I'm sleepy but I wanted to post :D

***Update:** For those of you who haven't visited my profile, I am now on deviantart. Since I detest the HPFF forums, and they are not easily accessible to people who are not registered, bios and story notes will now be in my journal on DA. My username is _SpellboundGypsyQueen_. So there you have it.

Anyway, in regards to this chapter; I sort of see Isabella as the first incarnation of Bellatrix… by that I mean that Bellatrix would not have gone to Hogwarts with Tom/Voldemort, but surely she was not the first female to have such a neurotic obsession with him. I could imagine Tom acquiring quite a few of these women throughout his life (especially when he was young and good-looking :) ). Here, Isabella is the original.

I somewhat feel like this chapter was filler :/ My apologies. In any case, things will at least begin to move along in the next chapter :)

Going to bed now...

Cheers!

~xSpellboundx


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